Laurel Wreath’s Reflections

Do you like my new look?

Sometimes the Lord brings someone in to your life when you are feeling overwhelmed and over-your-head. Then I get this neat little post asking “do you want some help?”. I about jumped out of my skin, and screamed YES!!!

Lindsay from My Splatter Painted Life did the web design. Saying thank you does not seem enough. BUT LINDSAY YOU ROCK!!!

Please, Please, Please everyone who visits here, go over to her site and say something nice to her. She has gone above and beyond =))

Do you like my new look?

Sometimes the Lord brings someone in to your life when you are feeling overwhelmed and over-your-head. Then I get this neat little post asking “do you want some help?”. I about jumped out of my skin, and screamed YES!!!

Lindsay from My Splatter Painted Life did the web design. Saying thank you does not seem enough. BUT LINDSAY YOU ROCK!!!

Please, Please, Please everyone who visits here, go over to her site and say something nice to her. She has gone above and beyond =))

I know the Lord never gives us more than we can handle and with Him on our side, that means we can handle a lot BUT… I have to say I am a whimpy Mom (there I said it). I am struggling with the idea that all my boys are going to begin a new adventure in their life. FOOTBALL. I have lived through basketball, I have lived through soccer, but with those sports I can still yell keep your hands to yourself.

But this is the sport where they make people hit one another. With this particular sport there is so much testosterone around you can cut it with a knife. I spent the first 12 years of my older son’s life saying “keep your hands to yourself”, “don’t hit your brother”, now I am expect to sit on the sidelines and yell “knock the daylight out of him honey”, “hit him hard”. Do you see my problem here. You see when I was growing up I had dreams of Barbie dolls, bows, and pretty dresses. Instead the Lord had body sweat, testosterone, lifted up toilet seats in mind for my life. Sigh..

Anyways, I mention this for several reasons, and I would love your input. I will officially be a Football Mom beginning Tuesday (with practice every night for the first two weeks).

Dinners are going to be partly on the run. Any suggestions for easy to throw together dinners that your family enjoys? I do have a crock-pot that I probably will be using more. You think easy? Well here is the curve, I have a picky eater (thought it would be easy huh? Oh no, my boys love to give out challenges). One son does not eat noodles, one son would look at a casserole and question my sanity, and THANK YOU JESUS I do have one son who will pretty much eat anything I put in front of him.

I really want to feed them a healthy dinner since they will be doing some pretty hard workouts. Any suggestions?

Another reason for mentioning this, please pray for me. Because I honestly see myself as the Mother who runs out on the field yelling “you just hurt my baby!!!”.

Hey I just hand an idea (and if a blog already does this let me know if I am repeating something). Maybe we can do a Monday’s Recipe for Success day. Where I can list your links here and you can post a recipe on your blog.

It may give the rest of us some ideas to use for dinners, etc. Let me know if there is an interest. And I can draw up some rules and begin it next Monday.

Tags: dinners, football

This is my entry for Everyday Mommy’s “Writing from the Heart” contest. This is something I wrote last year for my sister’s babyshower.

Top Ten things God has taught me through Mothering:

10. Beans/beads and anything similar in size DO fit up the nasal passageways.

9. While potty training, always stay in the room, because if you don’t there may be a chance they want to play with what they just accomplished.

8. Maxi pads can be turned into body amour, if stuck all over your chests and arms.

7. Socks are not just for wearing on your feet, but for sucking on too.

6. If the child is anywhere near (or in the same building) as a microphone, children say the darnest things. Like screaming “Don’t touch that” while saying a Christmas prayer.

5. After a long day, when you think you are at your wits and you just want to say prayers and put your child to bed, you can hear things like “thank you Jesus for my family, and thank you Jesus for my farts’.

4. Never ever, ever go to a Mom’s group or playground or even in gossip, say to another Mother, “My child has never done that….” I swear your child will do that or something much worse. That phrase is the kiss of death to any mother.

3. 4th of July does not hold the same excitement as a mother, your excitement is watching your child watch the fireworks.

2. Another thing I have learned in motherhood, is God is working even when you are “not on task”….for example when you skip church, take the kids to a park, sit there reading a trashy novel, and then out of the blue have a child come up to you and say “Mommy how do I get Jesus in my heart?”

2. Another thing I have learned from Motherhood is that it is just plain hard. What I discovered the hard way is that God’s Word is SUFFICIENT. Everything we need to raise our children before the Lord is contained in His Word; every request brought before Him in prayer is met with His love and wisdom, which He pours out in abundance. (Heb 4:12, Js 1:5)

AND THE NUBMER ONE REASON: (DRUM ROLL PLEASE)

1. I am only a vessel being used these next 18 years to raise this child whom God has a specific purpose for.

Seriously there are several important things my kids have taught me about God.

1. “Stay close to God Mommy, he knows what to do”. When you first are handed your baby you are on the biggest mountain top around. But I promise you the time will come when you will be weary, worried, and whipped. You read in books that you should always “include” some “me” time, that it will make you a better Mom. You will think and say “sure I will do that between all my massages, pedicures and flying lessons.” “Me” time will become a distant memory. Even bathroom breaks will always be interrupted.

And as a side note, as I am writing this, I am cooking dinner, helping with homework, and trying to write at the same time. So what is a Mom to do? From the early days of praying in the laundry room, to the discovery of what it meant to get real with God , I realized that the limiting factor for my prayer life was only me – and the thoughts and worries that cluttered my mind. Through life’s challenges my kids taught me that I could choose to pray anywhere, anytime, while doing anything. All I had to do was turn my thoughts to God. And pray during those busy times “Dear God, help me to be enough mother for this child, bridge the gap where I fail and give me strength for tomorrow, and the next day…and the next day”. The simple prayer of a simple child.

Show me your ways, Oh Lord; teach me our paths; guide me in truth and teach me, for you are God my savior and my hope is in you all day long” Psm 25:4-5

2. My children also taught me that there is no room for pride in Motherhood. This is something a mother unknowingly falls into; it is as old as the Garden of Eden. God gives us many gifts and our children are one of them. But they are never to take the place of our Savior. You may be thinking what is she talking about?

As mothers we like to sometimes bask in the glory of our kid’s good behavior and good achievements, but I am here to say as soon as that hand reaches around to pat yourself on the back for good parenting, God (usually through your child) will take His hand and whack the back of your head.

This is a lesson I painfully learned more times than I would like to admit. This goes back to #4 on my list of saying “my child has never done that”. I will give you an example of how easy it is to fall into (after all I have no pride left, I am a MOTHER). There was a girl in the church middle school group who has been in and out of in-school suspension and she had some classes with my son. The whisper was “wow she must be a bad influence she has had in- school suspension”, I even went as far as telling my son “maybe you should not hang around her”. Well through my child I learned NOT to judge other people’s parenting. Can you guess why? Guess whose son got detention the next week! Yep you got it (for the first time too, so you had to know it was a lesson from God). Through my child I was reminded of Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom”. My son wanted to makes sure I was “right with the Lord” and without pride in my life.

3. Lastly my children have taught me to, ENJOY THEM. This child is a GIFT from God. And my children have taught and will teach me just as much, if not more, than I will teach them. Have fun playing; making mud pies, swinging on the swing, the joy will be in your child’s laughter.

The day will come when, when you are anxiously waiting on the school’s sidewalk for your child to get out of school, waiting to hear about his/her day. And you see their smiling face approaching, but then they walk right by you. You stop them and say “why didn’t you stop?” They respond in a whisper “Mom don’t wait for me here, it is embarrassing for your Mom to be waiting for you.” I stood there stunned, and then yelled back as he was walking ahead of me “BUT I AM A COOL MOM”. No matter how cool you are, there will be a day they pull away. My kids have taught me I am only a vessel for a short time that God chose to use specifically for them.

Gen 2: 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

This is my entry for Everyday Mommy’s “Writing from the Heart” contest. This is something I wrote last year for my sister’s babyshower.

Top Ten things God has taught me through Mothering:

10. Beans/beads and anything similar in size DO fit up the nasal passageways.

9. While potty training, always stay in the room, because if you don’t there may be a chance they want to play with what they just accomplished.

8. Maxi pads can be turned into body amour, if stuck all over your chests and arms.

7. Socks are not just for wearing on your feet, but for sucking on too.

6. If the child is anywhere near (or in the same building) as a microphone, children say the darnest things. Like screaming “Don’t touch that” while saying a Christmas prayer.

5. After a long day, when you think you are at your wits and you just want to say prayers and put your child to bed, you can hear things like “thank you Jesus for my family, and thank you Jesus for my farts’.

4. Never ever, ever go to a Mom’s group or playground or even in gossip, say to another Mother, “My child has never done that….” I swear your child will do that or something much worse. That phrase is the kiss of death to any mother.

3. 4th of July does not hold the same excitement as a mother, your excitement is watching your child watch the fireworks.

2. Another thing I have learned in motherhood, is God is working even when you are “not on task”….for example when you skip church, take the kids to a park, sit there reading a trashy novel, and then out of the blue have a child come up to you and say “Mommy how do I get Jesus in my heart?”

2. Another thing I have learned from Motherhood is that it is just plain hard. What I discovered the hard way is that God’s Word is SUFFICIENT. Everything we need to raise our children before the Lord is contained in His Word; every request brought before Him in prayer is met with His love and wisdom, which He pours out in abundance. (Heb 4:12, Js 1:5)

AND THE NUBMER ONE REASON: (DRUM ROLL PLEASE)

1. I am only a vessel being used these next 18 years to raise this child whom God has a specific purpose for.

Seriously there are several important things my kids have taught me about God.

1. “Stay close to God Mommy, he knows what to do”. When you first are handed your baby you are on the biggest mountain top around. But I promise you the time will come when you will be weary, worried, and whipped. You read in books that you should always “include” some “me” time, that it will make you a better Mom. You will think and say “sure I will do that between all my massages, pedicures and flying lessons.” “Me” time will become a distant memory. Even bathroom breaks will always be interrupted.

And as a side note, as I am writing this, I am cooking dinner, helping with homework, and trying to write at the same time. So what is a Mom to do? From the early days of praying in the laundry room, to the discovery of what it meant to get real with God , I realized that the limiting factor for my prayer life was only me – and the thoughts and worries that cluttered my mind. Through life’s challenges my kids taught me that I could choose to pray anywhere, anytime, while doing anything. All I had to do was turn my thoughts to God. And pray during those busy times “Dear God, help me to be enough mother for this child, bridge the gap where I fail and give me strength for tomorrow, and the next day…and the next day”. The simple prayer of a simple child.

Show me your ways, Oh Lord; teach me our paths; guide me in truth and teach me, for you are God my savior and my hope is in you all day long” Psm 25:4-5

2. My children also taught me that there is no room for pride in Motherhood. This is something a mother unknowingly falls into; it is as old as the Garden of Eden. God gives us many gifts and our children are one of them. But they are never to take the place of our Savior. You may be thinking what is she talking about?

As mothers we like to sometimes bask in the glory of our kid’s good behavior and good achievements, but I am here to say as soon as that hand reaches around to pat yourself on the back for good parenting, God (usually through your child) will take His hand and whack the back of your head.

This is a lesson I painfully learned more times than I would like to admit. This goes back to #4 on my list of saying “my child has never done that”. I will give you an example of how easy it is to fall into (after all I have no pride left, I am a MOTHER). There was a girl in the church middle school group who has been in and out of in-school suspension and she had some classes with my son. The whisper was “wow she must be a bad influence she has had in- school suspension”, I even went as far as telling my son “maybe you should not hang around her”. Well through my child I learned NOT to judge other people’s parenting. Can you guess why? Guess whose son got detention the next week! Yep you got it (for the first time too, so you had to know it was a lesson from God). Through my child I was reminded of Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom”. My son wanted to makes sure I was “right with the Lord” and without pride in my life.

3. Lastly my children have taught me to, ENJOY THEM. This child is a GIFT from God. And my children have taught and will teach me just as much, if not more, than I will teach them. Have fun playing; making mud pies, swinging on the swing, the joy will be in your child’s laughter.

The day will come when, when you are anxiously waiting on the school’s sidewalk for your child to get out of school, waiting to hear about his/her day. And you see their smiling face approaching, but then they walk right by you. You stop them and say “why didn’t you stop?” They respond in a whisper “Mom don’t wait for me here, it is embarrassing for your Mom to be waiting for you.” I stood there stunned, and then yelled back as he was walking ahead of me “BUT I AM A COOL MOM”. No matter how cool you are, there will be a day they pull away. My kids have taught me I am only a vessel for a short time that God chose to use specifically for them.

Gen 2: 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

On Sunday’s I will share some devotional or lesson I heard or learned about through the last week that spoke to me. Today something we can all relate to, this is taken from a lesson I heard from my Pastor.

Acts 27:1-8

Acts 27: 1 :When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.

God wants you to see the method in which Paul is going to Rome. God told Paul he was going to Rome, but Paul did not know how. How many times have we said “God please use me as your vessel” and then things happen in our life that knock us on the side of the head and we wonder, “I did not ask for this”. Look how Paul is going….AS A PRISONER. I don’t think that would have been his first choice, nor mine! In Col. 4:18 Paul writes “remember my bonds” remember the method in which the Lord brought me to where I am.

Acts 27: 2 “We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.”

The Lord’s hand is with Paul, He is there protecting him in the midst of the imprisonment. How many times when we are in the midst of things swirling around us do we have confidence that God is right there with us? Or do we lose hope and our perspective? (I know I do at times)

Acts 27: 3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.

The “we” is Luke in this verse. As Paul is going through this imprisonment he has his buddy right beside him. II Tim. 4:11 Paul calls Luke his “soul mate”. When we are going through dark times in so many cases the Lord brings someone right when we need them. It is always good to have a friend/husband/family right there with you, or even a “blog buddy who can pray with you”.

Also the Lord saw to it that Paul’s needs were met. We know that Paul “had a thorn in his side” we don’t know exactly what that was. But the Lord provided even in the midst of imprisonment. The Lord’s hand was right there.

Acts 27: 4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

In Acts 13:3 we know that Paul had been to Cyprus before, he was a free man at that time. Since then all he has been doing is following God’s will and obeying God. Wouldn’t someone wonder, “hey I was a free man there, and all I did was follow God and look where it has gotten me now?” Now I am passing by Cyprus again, but in this boat as a prisoner!! This is the time where many of us would question “Why” Lord, I did all the right things, followed you? Why is this happening?

Acts 27: 5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.

Here it shows the centurion commandeering a ship. He was bound for Rome, and did not want to stop for anything!! Full speed ahead (just like the Titanic). This ship was more than likely a grain ship. And where there is food or grain on a ship there are rats!! (I think this is where I would have lost it!!)

But the Lord’s hand was on Paul, but he sure was not going first class. How many times as Christians we want to serve the Lord in the “first class seat”. But when we get bumped to the cargo section, we wonder “what did I do wrong?”

Now if you are still with me, lastly,

Acts 27:7& 8 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

“Bad news looms” Paul saw that they were passing “Fair Havens” and beyond that there was nothing. Kind of like “this is the last pit stop for 100 miles, better go potty now”.

But in Acts 23:11 God told Paul he was going to make it to Rome. So even though Paul did not like the circumstances, and could not see a way, the Lord was still in control. The Lord says “I will never leave you nor forsake you!”

Eph 1:11 the Lord works all things out according to His will. Why do bad things happen? We don’t know, why bad circumstances arrive, we don’t know but the Lord works them out.

What man has meant for evil God has mean for God. Here the Centurion thought “I am going to get to Rome even if it kills us”, but who was actually in charge of them getting to Rome? God.

As Chrisitans we would like to live the easy life, we would like to say “we always see the bigger picture” but if you are like me you only see the light with where you stand at the moment. But I have faith the Lord is in control. And plus if I did live the easy life, where would my witness be that God is always there, God is always fair, God is always loving, and that God is always in control. Keep your eyes on him not the circumstances around you.

I am writing this to remind myself as much as it is to share with you. I do have a testimony, I do know the Lord has brought me through a lot and I need a reminder at times, that the Lord does not call me to live the easy life, but the obedient life.

Blessings,

There are so many times where we feel like we are on this roller coaster called life. Going from one task to another, offering up quick prayers, hoping the Lord understands. Then something happens that makes you stop and think and praise God, because he just blessed you.

I became a “blogger” because I thought it was so neat to see all these homes and I did not want to be left behind. I have been a regular surfer on many of the listed web sites. And I can not believe how many times I have been blessed by what was written or said. I cried with “BooMama” over the loss of her friends husband, I laugh hysterically with “Fish In My Hair’s” blog, and I am inspired each day by the words of wisdom of “In the Midst of It” blog. Each person bringing their own separate talents sharing life with the rest of us, and I could go on and on listing more and more blogs that bless me (it will take awhile to get them all up on my favorites).

I loved looking at everyone’s houses, inspired me to do something with mine. But more importantly I loved the Sister Christian love I felt going to each and every one of them (yes I looked at all of them). Sorry if I did not post, but if I stayed any longer I think my husband would have unplugged me. Ha!!

So thank you for all of you that opened your homes, thank you for making all of us feel right at home. Thank you BooMama for your awesome ideas.

I thought I would jump on the band wagon and join all the fun for “The 1st Annual (and by “Annual,” I mean “Only”)

BooMama Blog Tour of Homes

Welcome to Historical downtown Florida, come on in have some coffee or sweet tea it is hot out there. I just recently repainted the door, now I need to get a nice wreath (any suggestions?). I also scrapped and redid the entry way celing. You will see what I am talking about when I show you the patio.

Next we have my family room where all the activity takes place. My favorite item (and DH’s) is the cash register. That is an actual cash register used by my husband’s great great grandfather for his automotive sales department.

Next is where you will always find us sitting around. Yes, I am crazy, three boys and white furniture. I cover the cushions with pillow cases (as you see). Can someone tell me how to make the cover more taught? I really have tried.

Next is the most important in raising three boys This is what gets me up and going and surviving the day.

This is where the surfing and now blogging takes place. I will be writing more about raising boys, how God is teaching me, and the daily stuff of life. Say hi to Tug, he is just looking to see if I dropped any crumbs for him.

Now to show you I am a “handy woman” this is my current project. I am scrapping the ceiling, retaping and then priming and painting.

Well that is my home. Where you will always find the doors swining open and shut by three active boys with places to go and people to see and me driving them there. I don’t care what my house looks like as long as you don’t so feel free to stopped by and chat I can wait to meet you

I thought I would jump on the band wagon and join all the fun for “The 1st Annual (and by “Annual,” I mean “Only”)

BooMama Blog Tour of Homes

Welcome to Historical downtown Florida, come on in have some coffee or sweet tea it is hot out there. I just recently repainted the door, now I need to get a nice wreath (any suggestions?). I also scrapped and redid the entry way celing. You will see what I am talking about when I show you the patio.

Next we have my family room where all the activity takes place. My favorite item (and DH’s) is the cash register. That is an actual cash register used by my husband’s great great grandfather for his automotive sales department.

Next is where you will always find us sitting around. Yes, I am crazy, three boys and white furniture. I cover the cushions with pillow cases (as you see). Can someone tell me how to make the cover more taught? I really have tried.

Next is the most important in raising three boys This is what gets me up and going and surviving the day.

This is where the surfing and now blogging takes place. I will be writing more about raising boys, how God is teaching me, and the daily stuff of life. Say hi to Tug, he is just looking to see if I dropped any crumbs for him.

Now to show you I am a “handy woman” this is my current project. I am scrapping the ceiling, retaping and then priming and painting.

Well that is my home. Where you will always find the doors swining open and shut by three active boys with places to go and people to see and me driving them there. I don’t care what my house looks like as long as you don’t so feel free to stopped by and chat I can wait to meet you

The laurel crown is perishable, but the true believers shall recieve the crown of glory which will never fade away

1 Peter 5:4 “…you will receive the unfading crown of glory. ”

I hang on to these words for several reasons:

1. I am a mother to three boys (near the teen years), I have to know even on the bad days my crown is not going to be tossed aside.

2. This is where my names sake comes from, so I believe it is a reminder to me from the Lord.