Interesting post title, huh? I got this email from a dear friend today, saw the title, and was like "Huh?? How will this encourage?!"
Then I read it...
And was encouraged beyond belief.
(So much so, I had to write a blog post about it!).
So before I share it with you, here's the back story. Hours earlier I had just finished sharing with this friend (who is one of the other coaches wives) about my "hell-ish" night at the last home game with the kids on Friday.
We were playing our rival.
It was insanely crowded.
There were literally no seats and our usual ones were occupied by the entire BHS band.
Both boys and I didn't feel good and couldn't breathe out of our noses.
And none of the other varsity coaches wives were there that night.
All the elements for a disaster.
And this is how the night went:
A whiny clingy toddler whom I'm pretty sure starting running fever by the end of the night (poor thing).
We stood the majority of the game because the kids were hard to control and that just seemed to work better...and there were no seats.
When Lincoln needed to go to the bathroom, I sent him in Jason's office by himself since I had to stay out with Noah, only to find him running out - in the massively packed arena remember - NAKED telling me he needed help wiping (are.you.kidding.) - yes, people saw.
At halftime, a friend yelled down to me, "Melissa! Noah is on the court!!!" during the middle of the halftime entertainment.
There was a point in the third that Noah was screaming and kept throwing his pacy dangerously close to the in-bound line.
The game was a nail-biter which shredded my already frayed nerves...
And there were many moments I wanted to burst into tears in front of everyone out of sheer frustration - but held it together until the moment we got in the car to drive home (yes - I cried the whole way home).
But let me tell you, an angel of mercy was present that night. During the 4th, I'm still not sure if she saw the mass chaos that was me and my kids and felt sorry for us or just felt the inkling to come over, but one of the Jr.High coaches wives suddenly appeared (not even sure where she came from) and literally just gracefully took Noah away and played with him by the training room for the entire 4th quarter and overtime. She didn't ask...didn't offer (by which I would have said "I'm fine...you're so sweet...but thanks!" since it's my nature to resist help)...but she just took him. Not even giving me the option. And yall, though I told her, I'm not sure she even grasped the magnitude of how SAVING that was for me in that moment - but OH MY WORD she was my angel. Have I ever mentioned BHS has some amazing coaches/wives????
Thankful for God's grace...
Thankful He works in mysterious ways sometimes and that he has no cookie-cutter means of creating men/women after His own heart.
Anyway, so in light of last Friday, my friend sent me this article this morning and it touched my soul. I hope it touches yours. :)
By: Lysa TerKeurst
My daughter, Hope, is a senior this year. And she decided her senior year should be adventurous and a little out of the “normal” box. A lot out of the box actually.
She withdrew from traditional school. Applied with the state to homeschool. Enrolled in on-line college courses that would allow her to get both high school and college credit simultaneously. And planned to spend the month of January serving in Nicaragua doing missions.
This didn’t surprise me really. Because Hope has always like charting her own course.
When she was really little I was scared to death I was the world’s worst mom, because Hope was never one to be contained. And I honestly thought all her extra tenacity was a sign of my poor mothering.
One day I took her to the mall to meet several of my friends with toddlers to grab lunch. All of their kids sat quietly eating cheerios in their strollers. They shined their halos and quoted Bible verses and used tissues to wipe their snot.
Not Hope.
She was infuriated by my insistence she stay in her stroller. So, when I turned away for a split second to place our lunch order, she wiggled free. She stripped off all her clothes. She ran across the food court. And jumped in the fountain in the center of the mall.
Really nothing makes the mother of a toddler feel more incapable than seeing her naked child splashing in the mall fountain. Except maybe that toddler refusing to get out and said mother having to also get into the fountain.
I cried all the way home.
Not because of what she’d done that day. But rather because of how she was everyday. So determined. So independent. So insistent.
I would beg God to show me how to raise a good child. One that stayed in her stroller. One that other people would comment about how wonderfully behaved she was. One that made me look good.
But God seemed so slow to answer those prayers. So, over the years, I changed my prayer. ”God help me to raise Hope to be who you want her to be.” Emphasis on, “God HELP ME!”
I think I changed my prayers for her because God started to change my heart. I started sensing He had a different plan in mind for my mothering of Hope.
Maybe God’s goal wasn’t for me to raise a good rule following child. God’s goal was for me to raise a God-following adult. An adult just determined and independent and insistent enough to fulfill a purpose He had in mind all along.
I don’t know what mama needs to hear this today. But let me encourage you from the bottom of my heart with 3 simple mothering perspectives you must hang on to:
1. Don’t take too much credit for their good.
2. Don’t take too much credit for their bad.
3. Don’t try to raise a good child. Raise a God-following adult.
And all the mamas of fountain dancing children said, “Amen!”
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
6 Months
How Far Along: 6 Months (well, a few days shy)
Gender:Girl: Adelynn Faith
Maternity Clothes: I have one pair of maternity jeans that I really like and I wear them ALL the time. As far as shirts go, I can still wear most of my shirts (the longer ones for sure), but I'm finding maternity ones a lot more comfy these days.
Weight gain: 10 pounds
Movement: Lots of movement!
Sleep: I have actually been sleeping pretty good, but need to not stay up as late! I hate to admit it, but I literally take a nap EVERY DAY.
Symptoms: Headaches at night, sinus congestion, and occasional stomach issues. I still have to take my nausea meds every now and then.
Cravings: I no longer crave Subway. But I pretty much get an unsweetened tea with splenda almost every day from McD's. I've never been a tea drinker but have been drinking tons lately!
Best moment this week: When Lincoln asked me if he could talk to his baby sister the other night. He continued to have the sweetest conversation ever with my belly...melted our hearts.
And some belly shots. Sorry they're pathetic quality with me holding up my phone. That's all I have though :)
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Oh Dear
I wrote about how Lincoln was going through a "stage" a few months ago (and now I wonder how much of it had to do with the Holidays + his steroid inhaler he was on??). Well he has massively improved - though we obviously still have our toddler moments - but for the most part, things have settled much.
And then there's Noah. Our little guy who turns 2 in about a week.
He has decided to test limits wherever he can and oh man (unless my memory is foggy) he is way more stubborn at this than Lincoln was! Last night we literally had a stare-down where I had decided "I will win this one." It was not pretty and full of snot and tears, but I'd rather fight these battles now and show him he's not in control of the house than later.
So we've been working with this for about 1.5 weeks now, and the other night at my parents house, when given a direction, he looked at me and goes "No!".
I gave him one warning to do as I asked, and he just grinned, still refusing to follow the direction. So as I moved in to discipline him, he goes "I wuv you mommy!!!" with the cutest little grin. Of course my family almost died laughing (he still got disciplined)...
Then this morning, a similar scenario was taking place in the living room where he was not being obedient, and as I moved in to discipline him, he ran across the living room yelling "I wuv you! I wuv you! I wuv you! I wuuuv you mommy!!!!!"
Where did he learn that? Oh dear.
The fun of raising toddlers. :)
And then there's Noah. Our little guy who turns 2 in about a week.
He has decided to test limits wherever he can and oh man (unless my memory is foggy) he is way more stubborn at this than Lincoln was! Last night we literally had a stare-down where I had decided "I will win this one." It was not pretty and full of snot and tears, but I'd rather fight these battles now and show him he's not in control of the house than later.
So we've been working with this for about 1.5 weeks now, and the other night at my parents house, when given a direction, he looked at me and goes "No!".
I gave him one warning to do as I asked, and he just grinned, still refusing to follow the direction. So as I moved in to discipline him, he goes "I wuv you mommy!!!" with the cutest little grin. Of course my family almost died laughing (he still got disciplined)...
Then this morning, a similar scenario was taking place in the living room where he was not being obedient, and as I moved in to discipline him, he ran across the living room yelling "I wuv you! I wuv you! I wuv you! I wuuuv you mommy!!!!!"
Where did he learn that? Oh dear.
The fun of raising toddlers. :)
Friday, January 20, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Live Loud
Alright. You don't have to love football to have heard of Tim Tebow recently. I personally can't stand NFL football (though I love college), but am anxiously awaiting 7:00pm tonight to watch the Broncos vs. Patriots (I even DVR'd it just in case).
I know some Christians have gone as far as to criticize all the Tebow hype - which yes if you find yourself worshipping him, something's misplaced - but I think it's incredible what God is doing through this young man and how he is using his platform to proclaim the name of Jesus.
We all have a platform by which to proclaim our faith and be bold. His happens to be a massive one, but yours and mine is nonetheless any less significant. Thanks Tebow for being a personal encouragement to me to be bold in my faith and proclaim the name of Jesus in all things. Faith lived out looks like this, my friends.
**And as a sidenote, a interesting Tebow fact: he was homeschooled all the way until college! Isn't that crazy?! Jason and I watched some ESPN special thing on him during high school - which was awesome by the way - and this kid has lived for Christ in all phases.
Did you hear the latest news story that now that Katy Perry and her hubby have divorced that she has eyes for Tebow? Right. Not this one, Katy.
Anyway, thank you Tebow for not keeping your faith "private" and separate. Living like Jesus!! :)
Here's the article circulating FB in case you haven't read it. Worth the read. And if you don't know the rest of Tebow story from his season this year, ask your husband or your dad. It's incredible! (And I just assumed only females read this blog).
Friday, January 13, 2012I believe in Tim Tebow
I've come to believe in Tim Tebow, but not for what he does on a football field, which is still three parts Dr. Jekyll and two parts Mr. Hyde.
No, I've come to believe in Tim Tebow for what he does off a football field, which is represent the best parts of us, the parts I want to be and so rarely am.
Who among us is this selfless?
Every week, Tebow picks out someone who is suffering, or who is dying, or who is injured. He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a nice hotel, buys them dinner (usually at a Dave & Buster's), gets them and their families pregame passes, visits with them just before kickoff (!), gets them 30-yard-line tickets down low, visits with them after the game (sometimes for an hour), has them walk him to his car, and sends them off with a basket of gifts.
Home or road, win or lose, hero or goat.
Remember last week, when the world was pulling its hair out in the hour after Tebow had stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers with an 80-yard OT touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas in the playoffs? And Twitter was exploding with 9,420 tweets about Tebow per second? When an ESPN poll was naming him the most popular athlete in America?
Tebow was spending that hour talking to 16-year-old Bailey Knaub about her 73 surgeries so far and what TV shows she likes.
"Here he'd just played the game of his life," recalls Bailey's mother, Kathy, of Loveland, Colo., "and the first thing he does after his press conference is come find Bailey and ask, 'Did you get anything to eat?' He acted like what he'd just done wasn't anything, like it was all about Bailey."
More than that, Tebow kept corralling people into the room for Bailey to meet. Hey, Demaryius, come in here a minute. Hey, Mr. Elway. Hey, Coach Fox.
Even though sometimes-fatal Wegener's granulomatosis has left Bailey with only one lung, the attention took her breath away.
"It was the best day of my life," she emailed. "It was a bright star among very gloomy and difficult days. Tim Tebow gave me the greatest gift I could ever imagine. He gave me the strength for the future. I know now that I can face any obstacle placed in front of me. Tim taught me to never give up because at the end of the day, today might seem bleak but it can't rain forever and tomorrow is a new day, with new promises."
I read that email to Tebow, and he was honestly floored.
"Why me? Why should I inspire her?" he said. "I just don't feel, I don't know, adequate. Really, hearing her story inspires me."
It's not just NFL defenses that get Tebowed. It's high school girls who don't know whether they'll ever go to a prom. It's adults who can hardly stand. It's kids who will die soon.
For the game at Buffalo, it was Charlottesville, Va., blue-chip high school QB Jacob Rainey, who lost his leg after a freak tackle in a scrimmage. Tebow threw three interceptions in that Buffalo game and the Broncos were crushed 40-14.
"He walked in and took a big sigh and said, 'Well, that didn't go as planned,'" Rainey remembers. "Where I'm from, people wonder how sincere and genuine he is. But I think he's the most genuine person I've ever met."
There's not an ounce of artifice or phoniness or Hollywood in this kid Tebow, and I've looked everywhere for it.
Take 9-year-old Zac Taylor, a child who lives in constant pain. Immediately after Tebow shocked the Chicago Bears with a 13-10 comeback win, Tebow spent an hour with Zac and his family. At one point, Zac, who has 10 doctors, asked Tebow whether he has a secret prayer for hospital visits. Tebow whispered it in his ear. And because Tebow still needed to be checked out by the Broncos' team doctor, he took Zac in with him, but only after they had whispered it together.
And it's not always kids. Tom Driscoll, a 55-year-old who is dying of brain cancer at a hospice in Denver, was Tebow's guest for the Cincinnati game. "The doctors took some of my brain," Driscoll says, "so my short-term memory is kind of shot. But that day I'll never forget. Tim is such a good man."
This whole thing makes no football sense, of course. Most NFL players hardly talk to teammates before a game, much less visit with the sick and dying.
Isn't that a huge distraction?
"Just the opposite," Tebow says. "It's by far the best thing I do to get myself ready. Here you are, about to play a game that the world says is the most important thing in the world. Win and they praise you. Lose and they crush you. And here I have a chance to talk to the coolest, most courageous people. It puts it all into perspective. The game doesn't really matter. I mean, I'll give 100 percent of my heart to win it, but in the end, the thing I most want to do is not win championships or make a lot of money, it's to invest in people's lives, to make a difference."
So that's it. I've given up giving up on him. I'm a 100 percent believer. Not in his arm. Not in his skills. I believe in his heart, his there-will-definitely-be-a-pony-under-the-tree optimism, the way his love pours into people, right up to their eyeballs, until they believe they can master the hopeless comeback, too.
Remember the QB who lost his leg, Jacob Rainey? He got his prosthetic leg a few weeks ago, and he wants to play high school football next season. Yes, tackle football. He'd be the first to do that on an above-the-knee amputation.
Hmmm. Wonder where he got that crazy idea?
"Tim told me to keep fighting, no matter what," Rainey says. "I am."
I know some Christians have gone as far as to criticize all the Tebow hype - which yes if you find yourself worshipping him, something's misplaced - but I think it's incredible what God is doing through this young man and how he is using his platform to proclaim the name of Jesus.
We all have a platform by which to proclaim our faith and be bold. His happens to be a massive one, but yours and mine is nonetheless any less significant. Thanks Tebow for being a personal encouragement to me to be bold in my faith and proclaim the name of Jesus in all things. Faith lived out looks like this, my friends.
**And as a sidenote, a interesting Tebow fact: he was homeschooled all the way until college! Isn't that crazy?! Jason and I watched some ESPN special thing on him during high school - which was awesome by the way - and this kid has lived for Christ in all phases.
Did you hear the latest news story that now that Katy Perry and her hubby have divorced that she has eyes for Tebow? Right. Not this one, Katy.
Anyway, thank you Tebow for not keeping your faith "private" and separate. Living like Jesus!! :)
Here's the article circulating FB in case you haven't read it. Worth the read. And if you don't know the rest of Tebow story from his season this year, ask your husband or your dad. It's incredible! (And I just assumed only females read this blog).
Friday, January 13, 2012I believe in Tim Tebow
 | |
| Tim Tebow with Jacob Rainey, one of the many people dealing with health problems Tebow hosted at Broncos games this season. |
I've come to believe in Tim Tebow, but not for what he does on a football field, which is still three parts Dr. Jekyll and two parts Mr. Hyde.
No, I've come to believe in Tim Tebow for what he does off a football field, which is represent the best parts of us, the parts I want to be and so rarely am.
Who among us is this selfless?
Every week, Tebow picks out someone who is suffering, or who is dying, or who is injured. He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a nice hotel, buys them dinner (usually at a Dave & Buster's), gets them and their families pregame passes, visits with them just before kickoff (!), gets them 30-yard-line tickets down low, visits with them after the game (sometimes for an hour), has them walk him to his car, and sends them off with a basket of gifts.
Home or road, win or lose, hero or goat.
Remember last week, when the world was pulling its hair out in the hour after Tebow had stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers with an 80-yard OT touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas in the playoffs? And Twitter was exploding with 9,420 tweets about Tebow per second? When an ESPN poll was naming him the most popular athlete in America?
Tebow was spending that hour talking to 16-year-old Bailey Knaub about her 73 surgeries so far and what TV shows she likes.
"Here he'd just played the game of his life," recalls Bailey's mother, Kathy, of Loveland, Colo., "and the first thing he does after his press conference is come find Bailey and ask, 'Did you get anything to eat?' He acted like what he'd just done wasn't anything, like it was all about Bailey."
More than that, Tebow kept corralling people into the room for Bailey to meet. Hey, Demaryius, come in here a minute. Hey, Mr. Elway. Hey, Coach Fox.
Even though sometimes-fatal Wegener's granulomatosis has left Bailey with only one lung, the attention took her breath away.
"It was the best day of my life," she emailed. "It was a bright star among very gloomy and difficult days. Tim Tebow gave me the greatest gift I could ever imagine. He gave me the strength for the future. I know now that I can face any obstacle placed in front of me. Tim taught me to never give up because at the end of the day, today might seem bleak but it can't rain forever and tomorrow is a new day, with new promises."
I read that email to Tebow, and he was honestly floored.
"Why me? Why should I inspire her?" he said. "I just don't feel, I don't know, adequate. Really, hearing her story inspires me."
It's not just NFL defenses that get Tebowed. It's high school girls who don't know whether they'll ever go to a prom. It's adults who can hardly stand. It's kids who will die soon.
For the game at Buffalo, it was Charlottesville, Va., blue-chip high school QB Jacob Rainey, who lost his leg after a freak tackle in a scrimmage. Tebow threw three interceptions in that Buffalo game and the Broncos were crushed 40-14.
"He walked in and took a big sigh and said, 'Well, that didn't go as planned,'" Rainey remembers. "Where I'm from, people wonder how sincere and genuine he is. But I think he's the most genuine person I've ever met."
There's not an ounce of artifice or phoniness or Hollywood in this kid Tebow, and I've looked everywhere for it.
Take 9-year-old Zac Taylor, a child who lives in constant pain. Immediately after Tebow shocked the Chicago Bears with a 13-10 comeback win, Tebow spent an hour with Zac and his family. At one point, Zac, who has 10 doctors, asked Tebow whether he has a secret prayer for hospital visits. Tebow whispered it in his ear. And because Tebow still needed to be checked out by the Broncos' team doctor, he took Zac in with him, but only after they had whispered it together.
And it's not always kids. Tom Driscoll, a 55-year-old who is dying of brain cancer at a hospice in Denver, was Tebow's guest for the Cincinnati game. "The doctors took some of my brain," Driscoll says, "so my short-term memory is kind of shot. But that day I'll never forget. Tim is such a good man."
This whole thing makes no football sense, of course. Most NFL players hardly talk to teammates before a game, much less visit with the sick and dying.
Isn't that a huge distraction?
 | |
| Not everything Tim Tebow does on one knee is controversial. Ask Zac Taylor. |
"Just the opposite," Tebow says. "It's by far the best thing I do to get myself ready. Here you are, about to play a game that the world says is the most important thing in the world. Win and they praise you. Lose and they crush you. And here I have a chance to talk to the coolest, most courageous people. It puts it all into perspective. The game doesn't really matter. I mean, I'll give 100 percent of my heart to win it, but in the end, the thing I most want to do is not win championships or make a lot of money, it's to invest in people's lives, to make a difference."
So that's it. I've given up giving up on him. I'm a 100 percent believer. Not in his arm. Not in his skills. I believe in his heart, his there-will-definitely-be-a-pony-under-the-tree optimism, the way his love pours into people, right up to their eyeballs, until they believe they can master the hopeless comeback, too.
Remember the QB who lost his leg, Jacob Rainey? He got his prosthetic leg a few weeks ago, and he wants to play high school football next season. Yes, tackle football. He'd be the first to do that on an above-the-knee amputation.
Hmmm. Wonder where he got that crazy idea?
"Tim told me to keep fighting, no matter what," Rainey says. "I am."
Friday, January 13, 2012
Lots of Nothing
I'm 21 weeks today and we had our 5 month ultrasound. We got to see the little darling in 4D (though she held her hands in front of her face the whole time!), but the most important thing is everything looked great and she is still in fact a girl. :)
In other news (boring, but hey) we got a King bed the other day and it is glorious. We've only had it 2 nights and it's already hard to imagine life without it. Super thankful for this luxury (and Christmas money well spent). We moved our queen to Noah's room (which will be Adelynn's soon), so we now have a guest room/there's-a-crib-in-there room if you wanna come visit (and I promise we'll move the baby).
Isn't this the most interesting post ever?
Yeah I'm bored, too, so I think I'll call it a day and get ready for nap time :)
In other news (boring, but hey) we got a King bed the other day and it is glorious. We've only had it 2 nights and it's already hard to imagine life without it. Super thankful for this luxury (and Christmas money well spent). We moved our queen to Noah's room (which will be Adelynn's soon), so we now have a guest room/there's-a-crib-in-there room if you wanna come visit (and I promise we'll move the baby).
Isn't this the most interesting post ever?
Yeah I'm bored, too, so I think I'll call it a day and get ready for nap time :)
Monday, January 9, 2012
The Half-Way Point
So I'm now a few days past the half-way mark of this pregnancy...5 months and a few days! This one has been different in the sense that I feel like it is going by soooooo slowly (I felt like Noah's flew by). Probably because I've been sick so much more with this one? Not sure. But good news is I'm finally starting to have consistently more days than bad...and the bad days aren't met with much sickness as they are just the overwhelming exhaustion. But I have been able to work out 4x's a week now for the past month or so (had a hard time with this before because I always felt so sick), be more productive and present with the kids/house things, and stay up later - okay, maybe the last one is once a week, but hey...it's improvement.
I really have nothing much to talk about, so I thought I'd just update on some things I'm looking forward to in the near future (excuse me on the boring part):
1. In 2 days we get our new King bed delivered!!!! I'm super pumped about this one...perfect time for the growing pregnant lady :)
2. We get to have our big 5-month ultrasound and see the little girl in 4-D later this week
3. Conference basketball has started and we are 1-0 in conference so far!
4. I hired a sitter for an upcoming game for the first time EVER and am so excited to go watch every single little detail of the game with my friends.
5. And speaking of friends...I realized last night that I just love them. Without them, I think I would feel like I'm going crazy - or my kids are going crazy. They make me feel normal.
6. Noah turns 2 in less than a month!!!! Crazy.
7. My older sis found out they are having a boy! 3 boys and one little girl (as the grandkids) - all under the age of 3...pure madness.
8. I love college football, but for the first time in my life, I'm actually looking forward to watching Denver play on Saturday. Yes, I've joined the Tebow madness (how can you not??).
9. I'm really excited about this upcoming semester with our cell group girls - I think it' going to be wild - in a good way.
10. And can't WAIT to start our David bible study next week!!!!!!!!!
There's 10. Exciting, huh?
I think it's time to go to bed (this is my one night a week I chose to stay up). Good night.
Oh - here's a 5 month pic.
I really have nothing much to talk about, so I thought I'd just update on some things I'm looking forward to in the near future (excuse me on the boring part):
1. In 2 days we get our new King bed delivered!!!! I'm super pumped about this one...perfect time for the growing pregnant lady :)
2. We get to have our big 5-month ultrasound and see the little girl in 4-D later this week
3. Conference basketball has started and we are 1-0 in conference so far!
4. I hired a sitter for an upcoming game for the first time EVER and am so excited to go watch every single little detail of the game with my friends.
5. And speaking of friends...I realized last night that I just love them. Without them, I think I would feel like I'm going crazy - or my kids are going crazy. They make me feel normal.
6. Noah turns 2 in less than a month!!!! Crazy.
7. My older sis found out they are having a boy! 3 boys and one little girl (as the grandkids) - all under the age of 3...pure madness.
8. I love college football, but for the first time in my life, I'm actually looking forward to watching Denver play on Saturday. Yes, I've joined the Tebow madness (how can you not??).
9. I'm really excited about this upcoming semester with our cell group girls - I think it' going to be wild - in a good way.
10. And can't WAIT to start our David bible study next week!!!!!!!!!
There's 10. Exciting, huh?
I think it's time to go to bed (this is my one night a week I chose to stay up). Good night.
Oh - here's a 5 month pic.
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