Lessons from a 14 year old

I drive the older kids to the bus stop. We rarely miss the bus, although there have been a few times when I've pulled up just in time to see the bus driving away. This morning, however, we arrived JUST IN TIME. The bus was just getting ready to turn into the subdivision when I got there. I was feeling pretty good about the fact that I was neither too early nor too late. I would go so far as to say I had PERFECT timing this morning.

Until the following conversation occurred.

Me: Wow, we couldn't have timed it much better, huh?

14 year old son: Or much worse.

Me: Why would you say that? I got you to the bus right on time!

14 year old son: Not too smart to get here at the SAME time as the bus.

Me: Would you rather WALK to the bus stop? I got you here right when you needed to be! It's not too smart to talk to your mom that way, either!

(Okay, so I probably could have left that last comment out, right?)

On the way back home, I was pretty upset. Okay, REALLY upset. I try to do the best I can for the kids - making sure they get where they need to go when they need to be there, providing for their needs in the best possible way, helping them with homework or whatever when they need it....I was thinking how ungrateful my son is for all that I do for him.

Then I was convicted BIG TIME.

It occurred to me (through no act of coincidence - this was totally a God speaking to my heart moment) that the way my son acted this morning was the way I often act towards God.

I want something to happen, I want to "be somewhere" in my life at a certain time. And God gets me where I need to be. At the PERFECT TIME. Not too soon, not too late. RIGHT ON TIME.

But do I always have a positive outlook on that? I'm ashamed to say I don't. I often selfishly complain (in my head, if not out loud for others to hear) about not getting to be where I wanted when I wanted to be there. I am prone to be a pessimist, and sadly, even when I get exactly what I want, I'm not always satisfied with the timing of it.

Which brought me back to how I was feeling about my son's response this morning. I was hurt, angry, and feeling pretty low about what he said.

How does God feel when I act the same way? I can only guess that His feelings would be even MORE magnified. He's got millions of children (myself included) who are selfish and sometimes act like He's only there to serve them, instead of the opposite. And I'm complaining about ONE??

Lord, thank you for the lesson. Like most growing experiences, it hurt a little, it made me uncomfortable, and it made me think about where my heart is. As I often find, it's not in the right spot. But I'm trying.

Psalm 51:10 - Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (NIV)

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Flashback

I just ran across this video of Puckey from April of 2007....SO stinkin' cute. She was about 20 months old at the time. Those of you who have been reading for a while have probably seen this before, but it's so cute and funny I just had to post it again.

Happy Birthday, Gwyneth Rose!

Unless you've been in a cave in blogland, most of you have probably heard of Nate, Tricia, and Gwyneth Lawrenson. If you haven't heard of them, I highly recommend you stop by Nate's blog to read their amazing story.

I started reading Confessions of a CF Husband on the day that Gwyneth was born. I can't believe it, it's already been a whole YEAR!!

Since Gwyneth's fave colors are pink and brown (well, at least until the point when she can say differently), the girls and I wore pink & brown to celebrate...

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY GWYNETH!!!

Oh. No. They. Didn't.

Did April 1st come early this year? Because someone MUST be joking.

Santa's Patootie

is apparently what a 3-year-old hears when someone says, "Ratatouille".

I got an award, I got an award!!!

One of my newest, yet dearest friends, Devin, gave me a blog award yesterday!

Thanks, Dev!!

Now, one of the things I am supposed to do is give the award to 5 other blogs that I love. Um, about that...I love ALL the blogs I read (or else I wouldn't read them!). Plus, I'm not one to pick winners/losers. Probably because when I was in school, I was usually one of the last kids picked for anything (if I got picked at all). Therefore, I will give this award to anyone who is willing to accept it from me.

Yep, Dev, that means YOU can win again, too! LOL

I Y it when everybody wins.

Oh, and for those of you who are wondering what the deal is with Ande and his beard...Ande works outside all day, every day, and it's pretty stinkin' cold here. The guys he works with all started growing beards back in October or November. When he asked them why, they told him it helps keep their faces warm during the cold winter months. They were right. Ande said his face is MUCH warmer now than it was before he grew the beard.

I'll have to admit, I am not a fan of beards. And I wasn't thrilled when Ande started growing it. However, I don't want my man to suffer on my account, so if he needs the beard to get through the winter, so be it. All I have to say is, as soon is spring hits, that baby better be GONE! LOL

Tuesday Tip O' the Day

Wow, over the last few weeks I have been a total slacker when it comes to the tip o' the day. Maybe now that Christmas and New Year's have come and gone I can get back into my routine?!?

This tip comes from real life experience...

When hand-washing your "sharp as a samurai sword" apple corer, use EXTREME caution. Otherwise you might end up shearing off half of your thumbnail (the nailbed part). This will cause you to have to spend the next several days being careful not to bump your thumb or exert any pressure with it due to such actions causing extreme pain.

The upside of this incident is knowing that if anyone were to break into our home, I could use the apple corer as a weapon against them. I Ymulti-purpose kitchen tools!

'Cause Every Girl's Crazy 'Bout a Sharp-Dressed Man?

May I present Ande, my fun-loving husband, in his 2009 Annual New Year's Day Ensemble (which he wore to his family Christmas Party):

Always fashion-conscious, Ande makes sure he gets every detail right. Notice the green glasses to coordinate with his outfit. He is also sporting a snazzy white belt.

A good fit is IMPERATIVE (notice the sleeves are far too short, which is what he was going for)

One must know how to pose for maximum impact.

Outerwear must compliment the outfit without taking away from it.

Last, but certainly not least - the shoes can make or break an outfit.
And to think he already owned all of this stuff. The funniest thing? He refuses to dress up for Halloween.