Little miracles

Confession: I get so focused on my own 2 kids, that I'm guilty of thinking that they are the only 2 little miracles in the world.

Truth: I watched a friend's 2 kids today in addition to my own, and how quickly I realized what miracles they are as well. Each individual person on this earth was designed for God's purpose. It is absolutely amazing to think about the intricate details of first conception, then a tiny little human being formed, then the miracle of birth, and finally the growth, learning and development of a person. I am so blessed to be a person that gets to observe this miracle first-hand, everyday by being a stay at home mom. It is so evident that God is real when you slow down and observe this world and the people in it!

Taken for Granted

Confession: I take my husband for granted on a daily basis. I get irritated at little things he does and sometimes even give the impression that what he's doing is not good enough.

Truth: I am blessed beyond blessed with the husband that I have. He is a willing, hard worker for our family. He is a loving, devoted husband and father. He loves God and puts him first and foremost in our lives. I could go on and on. . . .funny, how it seems when I'm talking to him I can't seem to think of one good thing he's done right. . .

2 Blessings

Confession: On a daily basis, I get so caught up in the mundane details of caring for 2 young kids, that I fail to fully appreciate the miracles in front of me.

Truth: After being away from my kids for a few hours, it dawns on me how enormous my blessings are. 2 healthy, beautiful kids, check. 1 loving, providing father and husband, check. 1 appreciative mom and wife, check. And finally, 1 amazing, unmatchable, Heavenly Father, check.

Teething Issues

Confession: Today I went the whole day annoyed with a fussy little boy.

Truth: At around 4pm when he was crying I looked in his mouth and his little gums were swollen to about 3x the normal size. He's getting one of his 2 year molars in. Poor guy! This led to a goofy discussion between my husband and I about why God makes teeth coming in such a painful process. Not sure we came to any good conclusions -- my only insight was thank God they're not born with teeth -- as if nursing could get any more painful!

Stay-At-Home-Mom Stigma

Confession: I get tired of the disrespect that a stay at home mom gets. I want to say, "Yes, I went to college! Yes, I could make alot of money working full-time! Yes, sometimes I feel dumbed-down by not exercising my 'business-brain' on a regular basis! Yes, I used to be an engineer!"

Truth: I know that God called me home, and I'm so glad he did. When I hear full-time working moms talk about their crazy hectic schedules, I do not envy them for a minute. I am sure that it is not God's will for every woman to stay home full time with their kids, but thank God it is his will for me!

Tired Days

Confession: I get so tired of being tired all the time. I thought the tiredness would end after pregnancy. . . then I thought it would end after nursing. . . turns out with 2 small kids to chase around all day, the tiredness stays for now.

Truth: It humbles me to think about those that live with physical disabilities or dibilitating diseases. There are so many that are absolutely filled with joy through their circumstances. And when I go to God and allow him to fill me with his joy, I can have joy through my tiredness as well. I will continue to run the race that he has set before me.

Demands on my Time

Confession: I often feel that interruptions to my day (phone calls, requests for my time, etc) are annoying and take away from my time of being a mom and homemaker.

Truth: Through prayer I see that these interruptions are opportunities to do God's work and influence others for Christ. What a blessing to have others call me for advice and trust me with their work or watching their children! This means not only that they trust me with these things, but that God does, too!

Noisy Kids

Confession: I get tired of people in public that treat me as if my kids are a big inconvenience to them. My one year old yelled out when we were in a store today (okay, screamed), and I was treated by a fellow customer like I shouldn't have been there, and definitely should have been able to keep him from doing that.

Truth: I remember a time when I was on the other side of this fence. I was so self-righteous and was the one giving dirty looks. Having kids is such a humbling experience. That must have been why God made giving birth so humiliating -- just to prepare us for the next 20 or so years!

Nap Time Dread

Confession: When one of my children wakes up from a nap, I have a tinge of regret that I have to leave the "me" time that I was having.

Truth: This regret leaves me the instant that I open the door to the bedroom and see their beautiful face, eyes, and often smile that light up just for me. I will always be their only mom in the whole world and I rejoice in that place. God is good!