Eager to Sacrifice

Eager to Sacrifice?

sac·ri·fice ˈsakrəˌfīs/ (noun) 

• noun: sacrifice; plural noun: sacrifices
• an act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to God or to a divine or supernatural figure.

...one thing I am not so eager to do.

Sacrifice it HARD! It means giving up something (and often something I enjoy). It means setting up boundaries. Saying no. Being disciplined. It means believing in WHO I am sacrificing to and for what purpose. It means surrender.

God calls us in our life to surrender to Him. To sacrifice not only what we have but who we are to His purposes and for His glory. You know, sometimes that just doesn't make sense to me. The Bible says that all things are permissible....right? Well, the next line says "but not all things are beneficial." (1 Corinthians 10:23). This is where faith is strengthened and our allegiance is tested...when we are asked to sacrifice.

In a season where God is "simply" (and what I really mean is not "simply" at all!!) challenging me with IDEAS of possible change, I find myself unyielding, stubborn, set in MY ways...grappling if (if or when called) I should embrace said changes. Yet, "if God is for me then who can be against me?" (Romans 8:31).

When in the past has God EVER failed me? Scripture repeats over and over that He will NOT fail us...and I cannot recount one time (not one!) that He has left me to fend for myself. Every challenge I have endured, every hardship I have overcome, I have become stronger in Him able to encourage those around me as well as proclaim the faithfulness of God.

Sacrifice.

Is it worth the struggle? The stress? The uncertainty? Is sacrifice needed to grow in my faith? Become more selfless? To better care for those in whom I have been entrusted with? Am I willing to learn how to sacrifice, surrender to Him and for Him in my marriage, parenthood, friendships...in my community, places of employment and circles of influence?

Wow! Hard questions to answer.

I will leave it to you to answer those questions for yourself.

But if I am (we are) called by God to sacrifice, is my (our) heart willing?

Is the call to sacrifice to the Lord worth it?

If it is....why not embrace it eagerly!!! With joy, tenacity, and a hope beyond anything this world can offer...learning to find satisfaction in Him Only.

For HIM ONLY do we eagerly offer our sacrifices. So are you ready to join me in kneeling before the Lord, seeking if/when HE might be calling us to sacrifice...praying boldly to HIM to soften our hearts to receive the blessings that come through obedience and sacrifice, making us tender towards His voice, to His call and to His plan? If so, let us kneel together as members of one body, the body of Christ, and LETS PRAY!

Amen.

When your mouth says otherwise

True confession: sometimes my mouth says things my mind says I should not say.

In a world with rapid access to news and quick postings on social media, I find myself blurting out things that I otherwise should know are not appropriate. My desire in life is to honor the Lord first and foremost. And then to honor my husband, family, and then friends. It is challenging when my mind goes 1,000,000 miles a minute and my mouth catches up quickly.

So how do I stop this fire out of my tongue? Scripture says that it can never be tamed. Is it hopeless?

With prayer and discernment, I pray that my mouth will align with God's heart.  I really do want to lift up those around me with kind, compassionate words. What example do a set for my family and children with the words that I say? Although I am not cursing, I say things that inevitably can cut deep without even realizing it.

We are an example. We do have influence on those around us. I desire my influence to be one that uplifts and brings honor to those around me.  So in a quest to find the Lord's voice in mine, I go to prayer. There are many examples of those in my life who have learned to either keep their mouth shut or honor those they love with her words. I desire to learn both skills.  It is an on going process, one in which I need grace.

I encourage you as well as myself to take pause. To be still. To listen. And to be slow to speak and quick o listen. Words can't either build up or tear down. What do your words do?

Honoring Marriage in Parenthood

It all started when my husband and I realized that we had no time for each other. It was like ships passing in the night with his work schedule and my sleepless nights caring for our seven month old son & crazy days chasing our 2-years old toddler.… our conversations would mostly be through text or at 1 AM when he rolled into bed after working a 10 hour shift (most of which he would forget because he was so tired). Dialogs in the morning consisted of getting the kids fed and changed before sending my husband off to yet another long shift.

Something had to change!

So we took out our calendars and decided to tackle the cultural problem with being too busy.

Last month we instituted "surprise date day" which once a month one spouse plans a surprise date...(no hints allowed!!), finds childcare and works out all the details. The other spouse willingly follows. 

Last month I planned a movie-theater, popcorn eating, air conditioned, snuggle my man in comfy theater seats date! Something we have both wanted to do more frequently than we have. Pre-kids, we enjoyed going to the movies at least once or twice a month. Post kids, we are lucky if we get out to the theater once every six months. It was a real treat!

This month was my husband's turn. The only hint that he gave me was to dress in active wear. I had no idea what he had in mind. Rockclimbing maybe? As I walked out the front door I saw the kayak on top of our vehicle! We own a double kayak we affectionately called "the yellow banana." I was getting pretty excited about where he might be taking me.

He said to get cozy because the drive might be a little while. Shortly there after I guessed that we were kayaking through the Ballard Locks! It was such a wonderful surprise date! We stopped at Trader Joe's to grab lunch, pushed off the kayak into the crystal clear lake water and headed towards the locks. The breeze was warm and the water calm. We enjoyed laughing, talking, and splashing each other just a bit as we paddled each stroke. Before we knew it, we were in the lineup to enter the locks. It was such a fascinating experience especially with the salmon running. A little nervous at first, our little kayak did very well!  Once we got through the locks, we paddled a little further and pulled off to a quaint little beach where we ate our lunch and enjoyed a spectacular water view. 

Our stop wasn't too long as we had to paddle back and drive the hour and a half home to relieve the babysitter. But it is so special to carve out time with the man I fell love with well over 8 years ago.

I'm and thankful for our new tradition. We still go on other dates within the month, but there is something special about being surprised and also surprising the one you love. We have also been more intentional about planning a family day once a week. This family day consists of two hours to a full day of just spending time enjoying life as a family of four! 

Below are a few pictures from our adventure today.

Many Blessings.

Crabs, Coffee & Shrieks in the Night

Camping. America's favorite past time.

A time to rest, reflect, and find reprieve from the normal routine of life. A time to relax as the wind wrestles through the trees. Watching the rays of sun filter through the evergreens overhead.…

...unless you have two children under two!

Yes that is right, we braved our first camping trip as a family of four! I wish I could say that this overnight venture  provided us with the rest, reflection, and reprieve that we were looking for… However when nighttime came things all fell apart.

We arrived promptly at 2:30 PM to the campground for check-in. The grandparents were coming with their fifth-wheel and provided much the comforts that we could not provide ourselves. They thoughtfully brought a second pack and play (which we ended up using!!). They supplied much of the food for our quick overnight camping trip. And our friends supported this crazy venture by letting us borrow a large six person tent... (which thankfully fit two grown adults and two pack and plays). We were set up for success!

When we arrived, our two-year-old was beyond herself. She literally jumped out of her car seat soon as it was unbuckled and began running around the campsite shouting, "run, run, run!" Tripping over tree roots did not even stop her from enjoying being outside! She quickly got up, brushed off her hands, and continue to run. She was even more excited when she saw our new house (our tent) being put up by her daddy. She quickly claimed it as her own. Our seven month old son was placed in a large plastic tub with a pillow behind him just in case he fell backwards. He was fascinated by the trees overhead and the work his daddy was doing.

Before we knew it, our new home for the day and night was set up. The grandparents came shortly after setting up their "home" too. Our daughter was so excited when she saw them pull in, "Papa! Papa's house! PAPA!!"

What could possibly go wrong with so much excitement…

As soon as camp was set up a few short hours later, the boys went out to throw their crab pots in hopes that we would have crab for dinner. This was the beginning of a challenging night.

The boys took longer than expected, arriving back to the campsite well after sunset. We were waiting on them for dinner which would either be crab or hamburgers. Our darling two-year-old was wearing down quickly. Thankful for the microwave in the fifth wheel, we threw in a hotdog and filled her plate with vegetables and fruit. She did not seem too interested in eating...as with the routine the last day and a half. Unsure if she was tired, uninterested in the food we provided or if she was just being a picky toddler, we didn't think much of it. 

After her few bird bites of food, we began her bedtime routine, putting her in the pack and play that the grandparents brought. She settled in nicely without complaint. I was thankful and looking forward to a relaxing evening. As per our typical schedule, our son was put down about an hour and a half after our daughter. With the boys back out on the water to check the crab pots, I was enjoying conversation and two sleeping kids!

… That was until the ice cream man came cruising through our campsite at 8:30 PM! Seriously! Who in their right mind would drive an ice cream truck through a campsite that late at night! It wasn't even that hot outside.  

This was the turning point for our evening. The loud blaring music from the ice cream truck woke my daughter causing a fit of crying.… since she was sharing sleeping space with our son, this caused him to wake up too. 

So, it was 8:30 at night and both kids were back up. With all of the excitement, our two-year-old ended up socializing until about 11 PM. Our son dozed in and out of sleep but was fussy from not only being woken up but also by his top left tooth that was coming in. It was time to bring out the Tylenol! 

By midnight, all four of us were nestled in our tent and asleep. I was awoken 2 1/2 hours later to my two-year-olds shrieks. She had such bad stomach pain and we felt helpless to do anything. As before, her cries woke up our sleeping seven-month-old son (I guess it was OK since I had to nurse him anyway... I justified...but I was really hoping to get just a little more sleep!).

My daughter did not easily calm down. We decided to give her Tylenol, rub her tummy, and cuddle with her as she would let us. Intermittently she would let out big shrieks. Again, feeling helpless, I suggested that my husband take her into the car to see if the change in environment would help. Also I wanted to spare all of the campers surrounding us her shrieks and screams in the early morning hours. So, at 3 AM, my husband carried her to the car, secured her into the car seat, and curled up in the reclined passenger seat with his sleeping bag. And there they stayed the rest of the night. 

My son woke up again at 5:30 and then again at seven. Needless to say I had a very restless night and my husband had very uncomfortable sleeping quarters. I especially felt bad for him since he had to work that same day.

The morning greeted us with a slow wake up, I was thankful for the Keurig machine in the fifth wheel which provided me with a delicious cup of coffee; I was also thankful for the toasty camp fire in the center of our site which provided warmth on a cool summer morning. 

Soon, both of the kids were out of their respective sleeping stations and the grandparents were preparing breakfast. 

Our sweet little family of four had to leave the site at 11 AM so that my husband could arrive on time to his shift at 1 PM. Tired and exhausted, we packed up our things, said our goodbyes, strapped our sleepy children in the backseat, and drove away.

As we were on the way home, we reflected on our short 18-hour camping trip. It certainly could have been a lot worse, but it certainly was not the success that we were hoping for. Although we did not find the rest and relaxation we were looking for, we enjoyed seeing our two children exploring a new environment on our first camping trip as a family of four... 

We might just be crazy, but our second camping trip is coming up in just a few short weeks. We are hoping things go a little differently than this time around but...

Every experience is an opportunity to learn!

Good night.

.