Things that make me go, "hmmm?"

• How many times must you go up and back down the stairs in your house in a any given one hour period to check "workout" off your to do list for the day?

• How many times in any given one hour period must you either A.Tweet (and to think supposedly the cool people do this...but yet they call it Tweet...hmmm??) or B. Check your Twitter account to be deemed a Twitter junkie?

Note: I do not have a Twitter account, I am just wondering for a few of my dear friends and a loved one..."ahem"... :)

• Does pulling a piece of thread out of the hem of your jeans and getting the noticeable piece of pepper out of your teeth count as flossing?
  
  
• Is it lying when your child's preschool teacher asks you how many hours of sleep your child is getting at night because he is "pretty irritable lately"...and you count from the time you put him in the bed rather than from the time he actually falls asleep (and you know there is a BIG difference between the two)?
  

• If you haven't actually popped open a can of soda in years, but you drink 90% of your husbands when he pops one....who is healthier...you or your husband?

• Are you a bad mom/person if the receptionist at your child's school called and asked if you would be willing to organize the teacher appreciation gift gathering for your child's preschool class and you said no? Just a "No"...followed by a simple, "I am not good at that kind of thing, sorry."

• How about if you don't work and you are a stay-at-home mom...and you still said "No" to the receptionist?
  
  
• OK...last mom guilt one: Are you a bad stay-at-home mom if your child's preschool teacher calls to ask you if you looked at your son's report card yet because it is still unsigned in his book bag and she put it in there "Days ago"?

The BIG Picture

I shared this journal entry with my team at HB, but feel prompted to share it here also:

As the few lingering guests drove away from Hallandale's parking lot, there I sat on the floor in the East Lobby playing with the kids, desperately trying to keep them contained, occupied, and out of Chris' way while he was counseling and praying with the last couple of the morning who had approached him after the service desperate for relationship restoration. As I waited for Chris, I thought to myself, "Here I am, playing "red light, green light " and "mother, may I?" with my kids and this little boy whose parents are in the office crying with Chris...Here I am, frantically scanning the empty lobby for the next idea of what I can possibly conjure up to keep all these kiddos safe and occupied while Chris is in his office, living out his God-given destiny. How unglamorous this can be for me...I wonder what my destiny is? Surely, it's a little more than taking child after child to the bathroom, helping them pull down their pants, pee, and wash their hands with one hand, because I have Annie in the other and even relaxed me refuses to set her on the bathroom floor. Here I am, doing things that are WAY behind the scenes, things I did not expect to do after church today. Actually, I planned on putting the kids in the car immediately following the 11am service and meeting my company that's in town for one more afternoon at Chipotle. That is what I had planned for the day, and here I am...."

God had planned otherwise. He had planned to use Chris to bring hurting couples to the cross where they would experience restoration and healing. And for Chris to be able to do what God had planned for him, I had to be cooperative and humble..two things I hate to admit that I struggle with...A LOT. I reasoned in that moment that I had 2 choices: 1. Be upset and frustrated that my plans were interrupted, that my kids were getting dirtier and dirtier by the second, and that I was at a complete loss as to how I was going to wipe Jack's bottom with Annie in one hand and Jack's half-eaten, but treasured lollipop in the other. OR, I could choose option 2. Option 2: I could thank God that He was using me to be a part of something BIG. Trust me, I know that keeping kids relatively calm and occupied why dad is praying with someone does not feel BIG (trust me, I KNOW :) But as I stood there in the bathroom, I couldn't help but thank God for allowing us to be a part of what He is doing through FRC. Serving in the ministry is not perfect. And for me, at least at this season of my life, It is less than glamorous more times than not. But, I refuse (with the Holy Spirit's strength..which I often need to do this :) to focus on how unglamorous it can look for me and the roles I am filling right now, and I choose to look at the how glamorous the BIG Picture is.

The BIG Picture is that God is moving and working through FRC. The BIG Picture is that hundreds of relationships were restored yesterday. The BIG Picture is that if I persevere on, I can have a part in hundreds more moments of life change like those of yesterday. The BIG Picture is that FRC WILL make a Kingdom Impact in a HUGE way in my life time. The BIG Picture is that it is not about me, and sometimes God will ask me to do the unglamorous things so that others can more effectively do what God has called them to do. The BIG Picture is that I am a part of the Lord's work even if my part is sometimes holding a sticky baby and wiping a dirty bottom in the midst of a round of "red light, green light."

THAT is the BIG Picture..And when I remember it this way, I can't help but become overwhelmed with gratitude that God has allowed me to do exactly what I am doing right now. Actually, it makes even a non-crier like me tear up with gratitude for being allowed to do something as BIG as playing "red light, green light" in the East Lobby on a Sunday afternoon.

My goal today was to show you the video about Pastor Troy's teaching on marriage this weekend, but since I am a technical nightmare and have spent over an hour attempting to post the u-tube video on my blog with zero success...I give up. Which is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what we want you to do with your marriage. So rather than just quitting, I had Max do his best rendition of Pastor Troy's video about the weekend.

Since he's a little difficult to understand here's what he is saying:

"I'vemissed.com"

"Mommies and Daddies: Marriage is hard; but PLEASE don't miss your marriage."

"Come to Flamingo Road Church Hallandale this weekend."



Max doesn't quite do the topic justice; You should go here to see the real video.

Marriage IS hard; and if you are struggling in your marriage or struggling because your marriage has ended, join us at one of our 7 Flamingo Road Church locations this weekend or join us online here.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT :)

Just thought this was too cute to pass up...I love how tough Tito looks with a shaved head and tattooed arms and how sweet Annie looks....And yet they go together so well. :)

trying to get back!

I am frustrated with myself for not keeping up with blogging in the past few weeks. I tell myself that I will persevere in the busy seasons and continue to write down my thoughts, crazy stories of our everyday life, and things the Lord is teaching me; but unfortunately blogging is one of the things that goes pretty quickly during those busy times (right after painting my toenails, plucking my eyebrows, and cooking :)

So in order to ease myself back into this blogging thing, I am posting a few random thoughts that only Chris will care to read:

I got a new camera...Finally, I have the default of the, "I have nothing to say so here are a few pics of the kids for you to see" posts again.

My sister, Kristi, and her husband are coming to visit this week!! I am super excited to see them! I will be sooo bummed if she calls me the morning she is supposed to fly in and tells me she never got on the plane (I won't name the sister who did that to me 2 months ago... but no hard feelings :)

Easter at FRC was amazing...almost 19,000 in attendance, 955 salvations, and 632 baptisms!! We had 1,155 in attendance at our Hallandale campus!! I love being a part of this church, and I am so honored to have a part in what God is doing in my generation.

I have a envy problem with people who have more energy than me...Chris is one of the people I envy. He can go day after day with very little sleep...How do people do that? ( you know, legally and healthily--although, I don't think healthily is a word)? I would love some ideas...

Is there such a thing/job as a time management trainer? You know, we have fitness trainers, life coaches, mentors, but what about someone who looks at what is on your plate daily, evaluates your goals, and says, "Do this first, then you have 15 minutes to fold laundry, and then do this...OK don't get A.D.D on me, you need to do this next" OR, "Come back, come back, quit reading/writing blogs you're supposed to be planning for your meeting tomorrow night!"
I think one could make a great career in this field...maybe not, maybe it's just me...I'm sure more mature people can do this for themselves :) I have the worst A.D.D some days and I think, "If I just had a coach to tell me what I was working on and what's the next most important thing to do."

I think right now he would say, "Finish blogging, start the laundry, and make those 2 phone calls you said you would while the kids are still napping."

the microwave and my nose

I really struggle to keep up with this blogging thing during Christmas and Easter, but I quickly want to tell you about this "aha moment" I had yesterday.

Here it is: You know you need a nose job when you can shut your own nose in an over-the-range microwave ...No seriously...I mean, I would love a nose job, but my lesson learned was maybe it is time to slow down just a tad when you are running through the house like a white tornado on crack so much so that you slam the microwave door shut and forget to move your own head. Yep, it seriously happened. I am talking I had the bloodiest nose EVER...and Chris has never laughed so hard. My nose is still too sore to laugh...Which has got me wondering...Can you feel your nose when you laugh? Or is that just the ultimate sign of someone with a big schnoz?



WOW...my best picture and most insightful post all in one :)