What You'll Find at My House

There's a pet alien in a jar sitting next to my computer.  I have a model dinosaur in my book shelf.  There are squinkies on the stairs.  One lone red sock on the coffee table, a stack of misc. cards, a snack cup with crumbs in it.  There's one leftover cupcake on the kitchen counter, some flash cards on the island and a stack of library books too.

But that's not all you will find in my house.

You'll find laughter.  LOUDNESS.  Creativity, encouragement, and celebration.  Sometimes tears, and then comforting.  Acceptance.  Helping hands, Open hearts, and camaraderie. 

Most of all, inside these walls, you will find LOVE.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." -John 13:34


  

A Love that Matters

This is not a Valentine's post.  Not that I am anti-Valentine's Day...I have a Valentine that has loved me faithfully for 17 years now.  I even have a special Valentine to give to him, and one for each of my children.

But this post is about something bigger.  It's about a love that is deeper, wider, and higher than we can ever imagine.  This morning, as I was worshiping before the Lord, I felt a fresh wave of His love flow over me.  It was as if He was asking me somewhere in the depths of my heart, "Daughter, do you know how much I love you?"  I wondered at His question.  How could there be any doubt about how much He loves me?  Of course I know!  But then it came again..."Do you really know how much I love you?"

Perhaps after this morning I know a little bit more how great His love is for me.  That's why I wanted to post about my experience here.  Maybe one of you needs to hear today how deeply He loves you.  I pray with Paul that you will "know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."  (Ephesians 3:19)

John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

Now that's a love worth celebrating!


Blessings in Christ,
Melissa

Company Girl Coffee 11.12.10

I love this guy...
Oh. Sorry about that. Maybe you can see him a little better in this picture...
He's the one surrounded by all those little munchkins that adore him. (Can you count all five in both pictures?) With arms and legs flying everywhere it's hard to get a decent photo of the bunch!

I love him because even when he's had a long day at work and they all charge him when he comes through the door, he gives them his full attention.

I love him because when I cut my thumb and have difficulties washing the dishes, he steps right in to help without even being asked.

I love him because he's there for me whether I need a listening ear or some good sound advice.

I love him because he points out the positive side of my 'tunnel vision' even when I see it as a flaw.

I love him for many other reasons not listed here, but mostly I love him because he loves us with all his heart and takes every opportunity to show it.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." -John 13:34

Company Girl Coffee 10.8.10

It was a couch night for me last night. No, I'm not talking about the type of couch night where you've had an argument with your spouse and end up sleeping on the couch. We've never actually done that before in our marriage. I call it a couch night, because one of my kiddos was up most of the night feeling sick. When that happens I usually just rest on the couch where I can hear them if they need me.

Luckily, he doesn't have a fever or the flu bug. He was up feeling ill because of an issue we've dealt with since he was born. He just doesn't seem to digest his food very well. We've tried treatment with Miralax and other methods. We've made sure he has plenty of water and fiber. He's had procedures done to make sure that there's not a "break" in his intestines, and we've done tests to make sure it's not Celiac. No matter what we do, we don't seem to find an answer. He just gets backed up (for lack of a better explanation) every once in a while. I feel sorry for the little guy and I wish I could help him more.

What I can do, is stay close to him when he's up and try to make him feel as comfortable as possible. I can pray with him and reassure him of my presence and God's. When I was little and one of us girls was sick, my mom used to break out the sleeping back and camp out right next to us in the bathroom. It always made me feel better to know she was there. Now, we have a much smaller bathroom here so it's not possible for me to camp out by his side, but I want my kid to know that I'm there for him. So once I've prayed with him and gotten him anything he needs, I choose to camp out on the couch because it's within ear's shot.

He seems to be feeling better today but because he didn't get much sleep last night, I kept him home from school. He's sleeping peacefully now, and I hope to fit in a little nap later too. I don't mind feeling a little sleepy in exchange for knowing that he felt loved and cared for last night. Love makes sacrifices, and I know many of you sleep-deprived new mommies out there know what I'm talking about! (Along with all of you seasoned moms, too.)

"Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]." -1 Corinthians 13:7 (Amplified)

Have a great weekend all!

~Melissa

We are in love! (15 years and counting!)

Today is my 15th anniversary! I can hardly believe it! It seems like just yesterday that I was walking down that wedding isle. We had an afternoon wedding, and it is as hot today as I remember it being 15 years ago!

Sorry to get up close and personal with the photo of us, but my husband is not a camera man. When I asked him if it was ok to take a picture of us for my blog, this is what I got! That's one of the many things I love about him though. He can make me laugh, no matter what the occasion. the song playing in the backround was the song that we walked out to after we were pronounced man and wife. :)

Actually, today is just like any other day of the year. It's Thursday, and the kids and I greeted him this morning and happily sent him off to work with hugs and kisses. There are no bells and whistles going off, and we don't have any special romantic plans for the evening. I simply gave him a squeeze, told him I loved him, and was looking forward to seeing him when he got home. We don't have a lot of extra money right now, so a massage by candle-light after the kids go to bed will be my gift to him.

But isn't that what marriage is all about? It's about serving your spouse in ways that make them feel loved. A romantic touch, an e-mail, a phone call during the day to say "I'm thinking of you." Perhaps it's a listening ear when they need one, or a sympathetic nod to indicate that you feel bad they had a rough day. I prefer to celebrate our marriage with the little things that happen every day. I don't need some fancy restaurant and a movie to make this day special.

Thank you for loving me for 15 years dear! You make me a better person and I look forward to the next 15 years of our lives together. :)

There Was a Note Attached

I just have to brag on my dear husband for a minute! When we were first married, I used to wish and pray that the man would buy me flowers every once in a while, but then eventually I resigned to the fact that he's just not a flowers man. We have now been married for 14 years and I love his quirky ways of showing his love for me. Every once in a while, he just goes over the top and catches me off guard. This Valentine's Day was one of those times.

It's been a rough two weeks around here. He's been gone a lot so I've been taking care of the kiddos even more so than usual. On Thursday when he got home from work I told him that if I didn't get some time away from my children (whom I love dearly) I was going to climb up the walls. Even though he had just worked a 9 hour day, he lovingly looked at me and said "go." He told me to go have some coffee or find a quiet place to read a book for a couple of hours. Reluctantly I gathered my things and headed out the door. I hadn't even fed the kids yet. I felt guilty, but I knew I needed the time away, and he knew it too.

When I got home I felt renewed and I had the urge to really show my husband how much it meant to me to get away for a while. One back massage did the trick! I know I have said this before, but when we take care of ourselves as women, wives, and mothers, we are more apt to want to serve the ones we love. I am so glad that I have a husband that encourages me to do just that!

That's not where my admiration ends for him though. The next day I was getting into the van to go and get BC from Kindergarten, and a delivery came. It was addressed to me! I was already running late so I stuck them in the van and took off for the school. When I got home I opened the box. It was tulips...in beautiful Spring colors! Talk about making my day! That would have been enough, but there was also a note attached. It read:

For Melissa-
Thank you for being a great wife and mom.
We all love you very much.
Happy Valentines Day!

Tears welled up in my eyes as I read the note. My heart rejoices when I think about how lucky I am to have such a loving family. We spent the day yesterday as a family, doing a little of everything and a lot of nothing but being together. What a great way to spend Valentines Day!

Oh, I almost forgot! There were chocolates with the flowers and card too. I guess they just seemed to fade away into the background with the sentiment of the card. :)

I love my family!

Company Girl Coffee

I just have to say, that I have been enjoying visiting all of you for Company Girls Coffee this morning. So much, in fact, that I had to get a second cup! : ) There is a lot of wisdom and insight to glean from all of you! I love the honesty that is put into your posts and really enjoy taking time to look into your lives and get to know you a little better. It makes me feel like I'm not so alone in many areas of my life. Thanks for sharing! This Company Girl is glad you do, and I consider myself blessed to know you!

Yesterday was a very busy day for me, so I didn't get time to post until now. I want to pay special attention to this month's verse. I already posted it once, stating how much I am comforted by it, but I didn't go into why.

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

My favorite part of that verse is "He will rejoice over you with singing." You see, I am married to a Worship Pastor. He has a lot of other gifts that God has blessed Him with, but I am not exaggerating when I say that he is truly anointed by God to lead worship. There has never been a time when God has not used him to lead me straight into the sanctuary to worship at His throne. Many times over, I have felt God's presence, and known, that even when I felt so consumed that I had no voice, He was singing over me during that sweet time of worship. Comforting me. Healing me. Quieting me with His love. He is so good that way.

I am so blessed to be married to a man who loves worship. I have always loved to sing and make music in my heart to the Lord. Ever since I was a little girl. I know that's why God gave me my DH...So that we could worship HIM together.

Today, in keeping with yesterday's small thing, I'm going to make sure that my DH has a relaxing day of fun! He deserves it!

May you feel God rejoicing over you with singing this week,
Melissa

10 Things Tuesday

In celebration of my 4yr old's birthday, I will be writing my 10 things about her today! : ) Happy Birthday kiddo! You'll always be my Care Bear! I love you very much.

1. Four years ago today I was blessed with my fourth child. I love her so much. I am so thankful that she was born.
2. I love her smile. There's something mischievous behind it. It's very contagious. I am so thankful that she can make me smile, especially when I'm feeling down.
3. I am thankful that she is content to play by herself or entertain her little brother when I need to get some things done around the house.
4. She's very curious. Always wondering how things work and asking lots of questions. I am thankful for her desire to learn.
5. I am thankful for hugs and kisses! Any time I get ready to go out the door, and every morning when her daddy gets ready to go out the door, she runs with open arms yelling "hugs and kisses!"
6. I am thankful that the first thing she wanted to do this morning after opening her presents was share her puzzle with her brothers and sister. What a sweet thing to do!
7. I am thankful for and amazed at the imagination she has! She doesn't need a lot of toys. She takes what she has and turns it into whatever she wants to play. I love to watch her and sometimes play along.
8. I am thankful for her love of music. She loves all different kinds of music and wants to listen to music all day long.
9. She adores her big sister. I am so thankful that she was born a girl...and I'm sure her sister is too! Even with three years between them, they love to play princess and have tea parties and retreat to their room to play together away from the boys. I'm so thankful they get along the way they do.
10. Most of all, I'm thankful for the God given gift of raising this precious child. She is so dear to my heart, as are all of my other children.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift You've given me in each of my children. I am reminded with every birthday of the incredible privilege of being a parent. You answered my prayers for children, just as You did for Hannah. For this, my heart rejoices in You.

-1 Samuel 2:21 "And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters."

10 Things Tuesday

Boy am I glad for 10 things Tuesday. It really comes at the perfect time, after Mondays! I have a really hard time staying motivated on Mondays. I'm sure I'm not alone. It used to be that before I got married, my sister was my main encourager. When I would have a bad day, she would refer to a favorite book of mine, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." Even now, I feel better just talking to her when I'm discouraged about something. So in keeping with Mrs. Brownstone's theme today, I will be listing 10 ways I am thankful for my sister. Even though you live across the mountains from me sister, I am so thankful that you are always in my heart.

1. You love me unconditionally. Nothing I say or do could keep you from loving me, even if you don't agree with it.
2. You take time to gab with me on the phone, even if we don't have anything to talk about!
3. You make time in your busy schedule to travel over the mountains to come and see me so that I don't have to spend 6 hours in a van with 5 small children!
4. You are a great teacher, and you love those kids you teach. I know they know it, and you are impacting their lives in an incredible way.
5. You help me out by saving your daughter's clothes and passing them on to your nieces.
6. Speaking of nieces, you love each of your nieces and nephews deeply and individually, even though there are a lot of them! They know that they are loved by you and look forward to your visits.
7. You came up with the saying "Always remember the magic of a smile and a happy thought." Whenever I think of you, I smile.
8. You know the importance of sometimes just vegging out, watching mindless television!
9. You make an AWESOME brunch!
10. You are everything I could ever ask for in a sister. Not only am I glad that we are sisters, I am grateful to call you friend.

I love you sis! Can't wait to see you in two weeks!

Love Rules

At the beginning of every year, my kids come home with a list of classroom rules for me to review, sign, and return to the teacher. Along with the rules, there is a list of what the consequences will be if they are broken. Here are a few examples of the "classroom rules":

• I will follow directions the first time
• I will listen while others are talking
• I will keep my hands, feet and other objects to myself
• I will work quietly and not disturb others
• I will follow school rules and respect school property
• I will work and play in a safe manner
• Manners matter!
• Be a friend to everyone
• Share with everyone
• Help clean up

All of these rules are important for classroom management. Not only that, but every single one of them relates in one way or another to our own household rules. I am really working on teaching my children that we have rules in this house, and there are consequences to breaking them. The number one rule in our house? Love one another. They hear it over, and over, and over again.

This morning, my two oldest children got into it and came to mom to be referee. JS didn't want RL sitting next to him, but instead of working it out with words, he pushed her right off the chair. Rachael used words, but she mostly shouted them at him. Not good, all around.

I talked them through the situation and how they could have handled it differently, and then I dealt out the consequences. Consequence for JS: he doesn't get to sit in the chair the rest of the day because he pushed his sister. Since RL didn't do anything physical to her brother, but rather just needs to work on her communication skills, she got off with a warning. Then I made them apologize to each other and hug.

From there, I took it a step further and read to them and their siblings from Colossians 3:12-14. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." We discussed different ways that we can "put on love", and then I sent them off to school. Hopefully, this lesson will sink in and be noticeable here at home, at school, and in all other areas of their young lives.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

This week we celebrated our 14th anniversary. Some people celebrate with flowers and candy, some go on elaborate over-night get-a-ways. Then there's the ever popular one...jewelry!

We've done all of those in the past, as well as a special three day mini-vacation for our 10th anniversary. This time, we went to a movie and then stopped to share a bit of uninterrupted conversation over a basket of steak fries on our way home.

It's not really how you celebrate that makes the difference. It's remembering why you're celebrating that matters. Love. It's what binds husband and wife together and makes two become one.

Love between husband and wife does not always come as easy as some might think. In 14 years of marriage we have certainly had our shares of ups and downs. We've changed jobs and moved several times. On occasion, we have been unemployed. We are also raising five beautiful children together. Life has thrown many challenges, as well as blessings our way.

Jobs, homes, and yes, even children come and go in life. There is however, one thing that will always remain, and that is the love that we have for each other. It may always be changing and growing. It looks different now than it will in 10, 15, or even 20 years. But it will always be there. It will never cease to exist, as long as we work at it. And that, is reason to celebrate.

I love you honey! Thanks for 14 wonderful years!

1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails.

The Journey of Motherhood

I am so thankful for all of the women in my life that are on this journey of motherhood with me. Some of them are further along than others. They have children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren. I have friends with 1 or 2 children, and up to 8 children. We are all in various stages of our journeys, but we have one thing in common. Motherhood.

Motherhood, although extremely gratifying, can be exhausting at times. Day in and day out there are certain tasks that have to be performed over and over. Take meals for example. I plan a meal (if I'm on the ball), make a meal, serve a meal, clean up a meal. Then I do it again at lunch, and again at dinner. The next day I get up and well, you get the idea. I start all over! This is only a small part of my daily routine as a wife, mother, and homemaker.

On most days, I do these things with joy. Do I always feel like making a meal? No. Do I do it out of love to serve my family? Yes. I can't manage my household and love my family by serving them only when I FEEL like it.

What I am learning more and more about motherhood is that I need to lean on the strength of God and the women that He has brought into my life as mentors and friends. I am not alone in this. I'm not the only mother who grows weary at times. I see it all around me. In friends, family, and women at church. I notice the weary expressions on their faces and I listen to the stories that seem to say "I feel so discouraged."

When I look at my "to-do" list every day I realize that even if I get everything marked off on Monday, there will be a new list waiting for me on Tuesday. Who wouldn't feel discouraged by that? I have read countless books on homemaking, organizing, and parenting. Many of them have been helpful. I have adopted several techniques and incorporated lots of different ideas into my routine and lifestyle over the years.

No matter what though, I keep coming back to one book. God's Word. It is filled with promises of hope, strength, and rest. When I read it, I feel comforted and encouraged. It provides everything I need to keep pressing on in my journey of motherhood.

That's reason enough for me to wake up every morning and serve my family wholeheartedly. Not only that, but I will encourage those around me to do the same. I offer them the same encouraging Words that God whispers in my ear every day. Listen closely. Can you hear Him?

"I am with you my daughter...don't give up."
"There is a harvest waiting for you, so don't give up."

I still have hard days. The important thing is, I look to Him to be my strength. God has blessed me with so many women in my life that I can't help but be energized by them. Just one look around me and I know that I am not alone. And I will do my best to make sure that every mother that crosses my path in this lifetime knows that as well.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we don't give up." - Galatians 6:9

Happy Father's Day!

I wanted to take a minute and talk about the dads in my life. First of all, there's the one that's been there since I was born. He is not a man of many words, but when he speaks to me across the miles into the telephone, I feel loved. He cares about his grandkids, and what's going on in our lives, and I love that about him. I sometimes wish that we lived closer, but I think that being across the mountains from each other makes our relationship special. I love you dad!

14 years ago, I was blessed with another type of dad in my life. My step-dad. He is gentle, and kind, and loves to hear how my family is doing. Since I was an adult when he walked into my life, I was pretty hard on him at first. But he was patient with me and earned my trust. He has done nothing but shown love to me, and I love him back. Thank you Hal. I am blessed to have you in my life. (Remind me to get a picture of you with my kids next time we see you!)

Around the same time that Hal came into my life, I got married. The third dad that has been a big part of my life is my father in law. I consider myself lucky! I love my in-laws! Doug is quiet, but funny. And wise. He is a great father to his children and his step children. I really enjoy the time I get to spend with him. I am so glad that he is a part of my life. Thank you Doug, for loving our family. We love you too!

I saved the best for last. Words can't express how much I love the father of my children. We have been married for almost 14 years now. For almost half of those years, he has been a father. He loves them in so many ways. He plays with them, teaches them, disciplines them, and encourages them. He is my pillar of strength, and makes me feel loved both as a mother, and his wife. Thank you for always being there by my side in this adventure called parenting. We all love you very much!

Daddy with his 1st born and forever baby girl!

Daddy and 2nd born (1st son), yawning together.

Daddy and 3rd born (2nd son) chillin' together.

Daddy with his two baby girls at the hospital.

Daddy with his last born. (3rd son) Whew! Having five kids really wears you out!

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; -Psalm 127:4-5a

Happy Mother's Day!

Ten things I love about my mom: (Not in any specific order)

1. She loves me unconditionally
2. She is always there to listen
3. She is supportive of my decisions (even when they make no sense and come back to bite me in the butt!)
4. She goes out of her way to come and visit me
5. She helps me financially when I am in a pinch
6. She gives helpful advice
7. When she hugs me she takes an extra squeeze before letting go
8. She lets me cry on her shoulder our into the phone when I need to
9. She is an active grandma : )
10. She has shown me how to be a loving mother.

Thanks for being such a great mom! I love you!

Ten things I love about being a mom:

1. Hugs and kisses
2. Prayers at bedtime
3. Reading together and story time by the fire
4. Tickles and giggles
5. Making owies better with kisses and band aids
6. Watching my children discover new things
7. Little yellow flowers picked just for me
8. Singing songs together
9. Watching each child develop their own personality
10. Spending one on one time with each of my children
11. Catching my children being good and praising them for it
12. Watching my children being loving towards each other and growing closer as friends

Ok...so I couldn't choose just ten. The list could go on and on. I am so thankful for my five blessings from heaven. I love being a mom! Happy mother's day to me!

Looking Back and Laughing

I wanted to post a funny story about my fifth anniversary. It was almost 8 years ago. I had great expectations for our 5 year. We didn't have kids back then so we made reservations at a fancy hotel suite. I had been hinting for weeks that I would like diamond studs for a present. I am not good at waiting so the morning of our big day I gave him a big kiss with his present. He thanked me and got ready for work. After work, we went out to a nice dinner and a movie, packed up our bags, and went to our hotel suite. They even upgraded us at not cost because our room was next to a room where they were doing some construction. It was almost perfect. All I needed was my diamond studs to put the icing on the cake.

Time passed and no present. We explored the hotel and went to a wine tasting. No diamonds. In the mean time, I was getting pretty upset. I mean, didn't he get the hints I gave him about what I wanted? Finally, just before we went to bed, I asked. I said "honey, this has been a great anniversary. I have really enjoyed everything. But I have to admit, I am a little upset that you didn't get me anything." (It probably didn't come out as sweet as I'm making it sound.)

After hearing me out and letting me cry, he said "I guess you didn't see the box sitting on the night stand when you woke up this morning!"

Boy did I feel terrible. All that time I thought he had just forgotten!

That's the story of why my earrings are my favorite piece of jewelry and I'll never jump to conclusions about my husband's gift-giving abilities again.