Rambling Monday -Starting to think

So, as I mentioned in my last post - school starts next week and I need to start  thinking about trying to get organized...I'm hoping with Barrett schedule change (that started today:):):)), that I can get things like our bedtimes, menus, chores, home work time and all that stuff organized this week.  Today I printed off the school calendar.  I need to go look at my Home Management Binder and tweak it some.  I do want to plan healthier menus and not always looking at my clock, saying "It's 4:30, what do I have to feed my family???" I need to get the kids to clean their rooms and make sure they have every thing the need for school. I want to set aside time to be with God and time to write more.  I want to do a "30 days to Clean" challenge starting in a few weeks once they get settled in school So, there's my week's plans;  wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Last Days of SUMMER!!!

Hard to believe, but school starts a week from Tuesday.  Bobbye Sue and I are doing our happy dance & Dalton, of course, is dragging his feet and starting to make those loud  moaning noise that cause me to halfway be concerned, but mostly be annoyed.  So, we're trying to sneak in a last few days of "FUN".  Yesterday, we went skating  with some of the  girls from Girl Scouts.  Bobbye Sue's BFF since 2nd grade is moving to Indiana in about a week, so we're trying to see her some.  God is so good...Barrett's niece,  .Kaylei, has came to live with her grandparents.  I think this will soften the blow when her friend moves.  
      So today, we went bowling with my BFF, Becki, and her 3 kids.  We met up with another friend and her daughter  The kids had  a blast and discovered Alex & Dalton LOVE laser tag!!!  I love that our kids are so close and get along, even though we sometimes don't get to see each other a lot.  We laugh at Alex & Dalton, they're always hesitance about getting together, but always fun when they do!   
    As we start this next week, we've really have to transition back to school 'mode'.  We started going to bed early last week, but this week we got to work on GETTING UP EARLY.  Barrett start his new shift this week which we allow him to be home earlier & see the kids more (YEAH!!!!!!!!).  Hopefully, I'll be able to get into a better routine myself; especially with house cleaning and healthy menu planning, & maybe even more time for blogging.  The start of school is always (still) an exciting time for me because it's fresh new star - a new year.    I can't believe I have a 7th grader & a  4th grader.  They're growing up way to fast.  I prayer that God will help be aware & gracious of the days in my little people's lives. 

BRAVE: A MOTHER/DAUGHTER FLICK

Today was great!!!  I took the kids to Y.  Dalton was suppose to have a basket ball clinic @ Patterson Park. We get all the way over there & it was canceled.  So, after swimming a practicing basket ball, we got to go to the movies.  The boys saw "The Dark Knight Rises", of course; and Bobbye Sue's been dying to see "Brave", so that's where we went.  I must admit; I wasn't expecting much from the previews...it looked kind of boring.  However, it turned out to be really good!  It's a princess who is being groomed by her mother, the queen, to be perfect.  God's timing is awesome!!!  As part of The Titus 2 University this month, we are reading the book Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman.   I love, love, love the book.  It was like Mrs. Freeman just picked my brain & wrote down all the things I'm thinking, but I'm too afraid to say; Good girls are not suppose to think this way!!!    The book is just totally making me reevaluate how I think and do things.  (I hope to write a few more blogs about Grace for the Good Girls in the coming weeks.)  
      Anyway, what was so astonishing was how God revealed that I am "encouraging" Bobbye Sue to be a "Good Girl" too.  While yes, there are things that I need to teach her; am I truly teaching her God's ways or am I imposing my expectations on her?   Too often, I feel like I do the latter one.  I want my kids to love and obey God because they have a relationship with God; not because the are in fear of Him or feel like the have to preform for Him


Proverbs 22:6 says 
"Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it."

I remember having a conversation with a good friend of my, Becca Harrison, a few years ago and she told me (I think) that the original translation went something like;  "Train up a child  in the way in the   way  he is bent..."  She explained to me that God has a path set for our children to go and that is not our job to force them what to do but to guide them.  I am not responsible for the route my children take.  I can train, advise and pray fir them,  but at the end of the  day, they will have to be accountable for their own choices.  Like in "Brave" (not to spoil the ending), the daughter begins to understand the mother a little better and the mother starts to accept  the daughter for who she is.  This was a great lesson  for me; not only as a mother, but also as God's daughter.  As mom, I need to be  able  to step back and realize that this is  their   life and they're going to have to live it the way they see fit.  As God's daughter, I need   to strengthen  my own relationship with Him and not always try to please others; thinking  that this is how I am to pleas God.

BE CAREFUL LITTLE (BIG) hMOUTH WHAT YOU SAY...

...BE CAREFUL LITTLE (BIG) MOUTH WHAT YOU SAY, FOR THE FATHER UP ABOVE, HE IS LOOKING DOWN IN LOVE; BE CAREFUL LITTLE (BIG) MOUTH WHAT YOU SAY!

We have to be SO careful of what we say and how we act in front of or little people don't we?  A few months ago I was having trouble with Dalton disobeying & disrespecting me, so I printed out copies of the 10 Commandments and tape them to both his and Bobbye Sue doors, with all intent of nipping the problem in the bud!  Well, as you can guess, I haven't use it as much as I had planed on or should have.  


Well last night, I was "helping" Bobbye Sue clean her room.  A tedius jobs that took hours and plum exhausted me. While I was taking a hot bath - trying to loosen my sore muscles, she brought me her copy of the 10 Commandments and said.  "Mama, this says; 'Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God.  The Lord will find guilty anyone who misuses His name.' Mama, while we we cleaning my room I heard you misuse the Lord's name serval times.  You shouldn't do that!"


GUILTY AS CHARGED!!!  A great lesson for me to lead by example and practice what I preach!!!

God Spoke

So, a few weeks ago we were have a transportation issue ~ surprise,surprise.  Both the kids were scheduled to attend day camp: Dalton to basket ball camp & Bobbye Sue to girl scout camp.  Before I signed her I made sure Bobbye Sue had a ride.  Well, things didn't work.  One day, I cried out to God in anger; "WHY DOES MY CEREBRAL PALSY HAVE TO EFFECT MY KIDS?  IT'S NOT FAIR!!!"  God quickly rebuked me & said; "Don't you think maybe I wanted your Cerebral Palsy to effect your kids?"  I can't explain it and other way than to say it felt like someone punched me in the stomach...It took my breath away & all I could think was "WOW!!!"  I am on of those people who think that all think are interconnected. My mama always says "You never know; maybe one of your kids or grand-kids may came up with a cure/treatment for CP."  I've really been thinking about all of this and truly amazed.  I have no idea what God has in for me or my kids.  They may have situations in their life that only be handled with   the knowledge and mercy that can come with having a disabled mother.  I'm by no way saying I'm a martyr, nor do I want to be, but if my trails and struggles can in anyway strengthen my friends and or family's relationships with God then bring on the trails and struggles.

Happy 4TH of July

I was just sitting her thinking about how blessed I am.  I live and was born in the greatest country.  We here alot about how the opportunities and just the freedom to succeed is so much great in the USA than any where in the world.  Looking at this country from a person with a disability can be quite interesting.  As I've mentioned before, when I was born my parents were "encouraged" to turn their back on me.  I think in many other countries this is an automatic given.  For starters, the medical knowledge and treatments alone prevents many people with disabilities from surviving; let alone striving.  I took a class in college that talked about disabilities around the world and in different cultures.  I  wish I could remember that class better,  In many parts of the world it's considered  taboo to be disabled,  No, America isn't perfect and many disabled people are  living in scary times in relationship to health care.  I'm not trying to get into a political debate here and I honestly I don't have enough information to even to start to venture down that path.  But I do think America is a great county and I think that OVERALL there's opportunities here for disabled persons that I doubt you can get many other places in the world.

That being said I'll shut up now and say Happy 4th of July!   Thank God for America and the men & women who work to hard to defend and protect this country!!!!!!!!!

Intentional Blogging

I've really been thinking about (& I need to PRAY about it too), being more intentional in my blogging.  I've even toyed the idea of doing away with "The Crippled Mama" and starting a new blog.   This will not, however, fix the problem.  #1 - I've invested way to much time & energy, not to mention my heart and soul into this blog to give it up, and #2 - if I'm not blogging for "The Crippled  Mama", what makes me think I'll do any more post on another blog.  Truth is; I was suppose to enter a writing contest this month & I guess I froze.  Whenever I would think about sitting down do write, I'd think of a million other things that I could and needed to be doing at the time.  I do believe that there a reason and a season for everything in our life.  We are even told this in The Word of God; 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot, 
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,

My top priority in life is to be a good wife and mother.  There are seasons in my life where I have to put my  wants and dreams aside in order to care for them.  I struggle with this in many ways.  First, I'm extremely selfish!!!  I must admit that a lot of the time; probably even most of the time, I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it.  Second, hard as it is to admit,  I use my limitations as an excuse, a reasoning, not to do the best I can in everything I do, & third and anyone who knows this will be shocked (especially Barrett), nut I think I may be a perfectionist.    I know that in compression to most women I know,  I'm not a good wife or mama.  I mean I'm just not:  My house isn't as clean as it should be, I can't drive my little people all over town to fulfill their desires.  I'm not a gourmet cook and most mornings we have to go on a scavenger  hunt for socks and underwear.  While there are a lot of thing I need  to do better, I also know that my best is sufficient.  I don't have to feel quilty because I'm not as good as someone else.  I must remember that God made me uniquely and knew me while I was still in my mother's womb.  (See Psalm 139)  God gave me my husband and kids to love as no one else can!!!

Now, back to blogging.  I do need to  blog more, not only because I love to write, it's also therapeutic for me.  I do need to be more intentionally ut blogging.  I've  got a blog planner and will try to work on this. My spontaneous spirit tends to balk against planners and schedules.   And yes it is very  ironic that I married a VERY Type A person - it does cause major stress in our marriage, LOL!  So I do need to diligently seek the Lord in this area of my life.