Laurel Wreath’s Reflections

I know you are thinking I am going to talk about my sons again, granted as a Mom I think they already qualify for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But what I am talking about is the real one.

Did you watch it? Of course you didn’t because you are not in an all male household! So let me give you some awesome highlights that you may have missed.

GOD WAS PRAISED ALL NIGHT LONG. Seriously, I was beyond shocked.

The one man who I want to single out is Art Monk. Art Monk is known for not giving interviews and as his son, who introduced him said, Monk wants to be known for his actions rather than what he says. Oh how many of us Christians can live by that word of advice.

Here is a man who has every reason to boast about his accomplishments, EVERY REASON. He worked hard, he sacrificed, and for several years he was looked over for this reward, but now he is being recognized.

When it came to his turn to speak, which he was the last to do so, the audience gave him the longest standing ovation. These are words that he spoke in front of a live television audience, and a stadium FILLED to the brim of fans:

And even now as a Hall of Famer, the one thing I want to make very clear is that my identity and my security is found in the Lord. And what defines me and my validation comes in having accepted his son Jesus Christ as my personal savior. And what defines me is the word of God and it’s the word of God that will continue to shape and mold me into the person that I know he’s called me to be.

So I’ve learned a long time ago never to put my faith or trust in man, for man will always fail you. Man will always disappoint you. But the word of God says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. And he will never fail you.

And that is what I live by and what I stand on.

I wanted to stand up on my chair and yell praise God. May God be given all the Glory.

Like I mentioned Art Monk should have been inducted years ago, so why the wait? We will never know, but I love Charlie Arehart’s take on it:

So here’s a different take on why his induction may have been so delayed: God’s providential hand. By holding back some of the voters, it made the whole matter take on a much more prominent place in the mind of the media, NFL, and fans paying attention.

And to me it seems reasonable to think that God orchestrated things to happen that way. I’m sure Art himself may see this eventually (if not already) as his “desert experience”: painful in the moment, but with patience and faith, it all works out in the end, for God’s fame. Soli Deo gloria!

Even if you are not a football fan this is truly something to be excited about! Thank you Art Monk for your example of a humble, Godly man especially in the midst of great success. May my boys grow to have the same character attributes.

The shoes are laced

The helmets are fitted:

THE BOYS ARE READY!!

And my food bill just doubled!!

I will find myself surrounded by stinky uniforms and pads. Three ravenous beings will roam my kitchen because nothing will seem to fill them up. And I will see my sons barely and my husband even less. Friday is the beginning of

I have not written much during the summer, because well summer time is busy! I found myself caught up with writing certain posts because I “had” to (mind you the pressure was put on only by myself), so I needed to step back and only write because I wanted to, not because I felt obligated to. Does this make any sense?

I forgot why I began blogging in the first place and that was so I had an outlet to complain journal my “going on’s” so my relatives on the other side of the US can check in and also to share Christ with others. I say all that to first explain why I have not been participating in certain posts (ex. Thankful Thursday, PhotoHunt, etc.). I am going to participate in them still, WHEN I HAVE TIME but I have freed myself from feeling like I need to participate. And yes my readership has gone down because of that, but you know what I AM OK WITH THAT!

My first love right now is Laced With Grace (even though I only write once a month) and Christian Women Online. Besides that I am just letting the Lord lead, I am excited to see what doors he may open or close.

So for right now, this little ‘ol blog is going back to just ramblings of a brain fried Mom of three teenage boys who loves Jesus, who is telling herself to write here only when she has time, and is an avid reader who loves to share good books with her visitors.

Do you know when I sat down to write this post, this is not what I was going to write about at all, but I guess this is what has been on my heart.

Anyways back to my original thought…..the count down begins, Pop Warner Football begins Friday and I once again become a football widow. I say that to warn you of my upcoming whining updates on football.

But they do look studly, huh?

*Top Football Photo by Nate

For more WW visit here

Trying out my new camera, this is my first time participating.   I am still learning how to upload pics, if it is fuzzy it is the website not the picutre.

For more WW visit here

Well not really conquered, more like survived. Today marked the first game of football for Ms. Laurel Wreath. I sweated, I worried, I drank a lot of water, and made sure I kept my fluids up. I survived! I would have made Queen Bathsheba proud. Hubby set up my tent so I could watch my “soon to be teenagers” run up and down the field in full pads, in Florida weather. Oh and by the way, we ran the gamut of Florida weather. It was hot and muggy (I had the face fan going full speed), then it poured buckets of rain (I moved deeper into my tent) while “soon to be teenagers” braved the rain, and then after the rain there was a cool breeze (so the fan got a bit of a break), then the hot and muggy returned (time to go home, thankfully).

Anyways, I guess I have to give all the applause to my wonderful, persevering, now apprearing on Sports Illustrated cover “soon to be teenagers”. I am proud. They are not “first stringers”, this was the first game in their whole life. And despite being flattened a few times, by kids that resembled semi’s they got back up and took some more.

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What more could a Mother want? (well except football games in an air-conditioned arena)…

Kids are back in school. Life has picked up its pace. We have football practice every night for two hours out in this Florida heat. Notice how I say “we”, I sit in the shade sipping my icee under the shade of a tree while “soon to be teenagers” are running up and down the field in full pads in the hot sun. But dang it is hot. But for some crazy reason they enjoy going back each day.

For the last two days in a row my cat (who thinks he owns the joint) pooped on my bathroom pad (did I say expensive bathroom pad). My cat has never pooped in the house, but now he has done it two days in a row in the same spot. Now I may have to take the rug to the dry cleaners just to get the smell out. I took it outside and sprayed it down. But what the heck is going on? Sick? Or just really ticked he is being left? He has not done it while we are here. So I am going with ticked. Oh and did I fail to mention my dog rolled in it. Oh yeah, it was great fun cleaning up the house.

Then middle “soon to be teenager” had homework for the first time of the school year. And what did he do, left it at school. Now middle “soon to be teenager” is my “brilliant” child, he is in the gifted program at school. But the daily tasks seem to be the most difficult for him to follow. You know like remembering homework that was sitting on your desk as you walked out for the day. Hence, more gray hair for me. I wonder how Einstein’s Mom survived!!!

And youngest “not so soon to be teenager” is having melt downs each day because he has more homework than his older brothers. And the homework needs to be completed before football, so there is only a “short break” after we get home. Life is not fair. Whaaaa….

But Jesus says “come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28). God has been my strength when I was so tired I did not know if I had energy to drive to another place. God is my strength as I have to go grocery shopping tonight when instead I would love to pull my covers up over my head. God is my strength so I can sooth a frustrated crying child. And God is my strength when Manly Man says he has to work late and won’t be able to help. And when I lie down God gives me sweet rest.

Father, thank you that I can come to you when I am worn out. Thank you that you promise rest in the midst of all that is going on. I pray if anyone reads this today and needs to be reminded that you are our perfect rest and that you will carry the load for us. May you give them an extra pep in their step and a little burst of energy to complete what needs to be done, and then give them sweet rest at the end of the day. Amen

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.