Thursday, August 23, 2012

Releasing Our Grip


 When I read my devotion for the day in "Jesus Calling" I knew immediately that I wanted to share this with you in light of our"Back to School theme''....

Here it is.....

**Entrust your loved ones to Me; release them into My protective care. They are much safer with Me than in your clinging hands. If you let a loved one become an idol in your heart, you endanger that one - as well as yourself. Remember the extreme measures I used with Abraham and Isaac. I took Isaac to the very point of death to free Abraham from son worship. Both Abraham and Isaac suffered terribly because of the father's undisciplined emotions. I detest idolatry, even in the form of parental love.
When you release loves ones to Me, you are free to cling to My hand. As you entrust others into My care, I am free to shower blessings on them. My presence will go with them wherever they go, and I will give them rest. This same Presence stays with you, as you relax and place your trust in Me. Watch to see what I will do."**


WOW! Talk about hit you where it hurts. I will admit that I am guilty....oh yes, VERY guilty!!!!

Idolatry?!? I sure never thought of it like that!! Ohhh mercy!!!
Endanger??? Oh no!!!!

I have often found myself consumed with concern over each one of my kiddos and my grandangels. Oh I know it is not OKAY to be worrying (that's why I used the word "concerned" ha!) yet I know I am only fooling myself.

This is an ongoing issue that I am consistently working on and trying to be better at. To release my cares and my loved ones unto Him. He is the ONLY ONE who is capable, He is the Master controller over everything!

Oh Lord I pray you will help me day after day to remember that I am helpless and it is not (and never has been) my job to cling tightly to my precious ones. 
 Oh Lord please help me to release my grip.
Help me to remember that there is nothing I can do that you cannot do.

I entrust my loved ones to you Lord and I promise I will try my best not to be an Indian giver!

XO Love & Blessings!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

BACK TO SCHOOL

Photo: Enjoy every minute while you have them...even the moments like this. They'll be grown and gone before you know it. Happy First Day of School!


I thought I would share this in honor of all the kiddos heading back to school.

I was one of those moms that actually did not have to peel my little one off the tree to get her/him to school. They all were pretty excited, it was me who was apprehensive. Especially on their first day of kindergarten, I hated that they were growing up and moving on.
I may or may not have driven by the school to be sure they made it on the bus."

I was definitely the one clinging to them when they moved away.
I think I have shared here before a little bit about my transition into the empty nest.
It was not easy breezy by any means.
 I would probably have kept them in the nest for the rest of their lives!

I have three grown up kiddos.
The first little chick a dee flew the nest in  a hurry. After finishing beauty school and beginning her future in that field she suddenly decided she did not want to miss out on the college experience and would be heading out in a few short weeks! We hustled getting her all pulled together and ready for the big day. We spent the weekend getting her settled in and attended the welcome to college life meetings. One called Issues to Tissues"where a lot of parents were voicing their sorrow of how they were gonna miss their kiddo being at home, their weekly rituals, stuff like that. I cruised through it all, I was having a good time with my girl, getting to explore her new digs, getting her all settled, meeting her new friends....
UNTIL............
It was time to say good bye!!!!!
I nearly fell into a heap in the parking lot.
I had to pull it together and get out of there with some dignity.
I found myself on the 4 1/2 hour drive home sobbing my heart out.
Her life was flashing through my mind....



To say it was an adjustment would be an understatement!
I may or may not have went into her room and cried on a regular basis.

We adjusted.
Life went on.
It was not the same. It never would be again.
 But life was not over

That little chickadee flew back home.
Only for a short while......
THEN......she and her baby sister decided to fly off together.
So, now I was saying good bye to BOTH my girly chick a dees!!!!!
My heart ached.
BUT.......
They were only moving 25 minutes away.
I was still a sad momma bird.
I missed my girls.
I had a hard time adjusting.
 But I did still have one more to keep me busy, my boy.

It wasn't long til I was bidding him good bye as well.
He was leaving on his 18th birthday to become a US Marine!!!
YUP, that was a tough one!!!!!!
Momma bird cannot just pick up a phone and call her baby then!
MANY days/weeks would go by without hearing his voice.
OUR NEST WAS EMPTY.
and truly, so was my heart.

The house was empty...
SO, I took one of the rooms and made it into my very own,
first ever...
craft room!!!!!
I called it my consolation prize!

I learned to adapt.
I crafted a  lot!
I prayed a LOT!!!
 I cried a LOT!!!!

But I am here to say that it was all a part of the growing process and in retrospect I might have cried a few less tears. (maybe)
I have definitely adapted to the empty nest and have to say.......
It's not bad!!!!!!!!!!!
Granted, there are days/times, when I feel the ache of days gone by when it was a family of five hanging out, laughing, playing, living......together!!

I have the added "prizes"now of "grandchildren"and they sure do make life sweeter!
There is still nothing like hearing my kiddos'voices on the other end of the phone or feeling their hugs when we get to see one another.

During all those years they were home in the nest we were creating tender memories, the foundation they are now building their lives upon.
It was vitally important.
It was what made them who they are today.

So, to all you moms out there sending your babies off to school.
I wish you well.
Know that you WILL get through this.
It hurts.
No doubt about it!!!!

One day you will be enjoying the peace and quiet you are craving today.
You will actually miss the sticky kisses and fingerprinted windows.
 (well maybe not the work of cleaning it up, but you know what I mean! ha!!)

Growing up is a process for us as well as for our kiddos.
This is the beginning of a new season, embrace it as best you can.

Send them off with love and prayers and know that no matter how old they are, your job as MOM is never done, it is just ever changing!!!

Love & Blessings!
XO



You are a TREASURE!!!!

You matter more than you will ever know.

God loves you more than you will ever realize.


If you can know anything today, those two things would be plenty!!

Have you really stopped to think about how valuable you are?
Do you know that God made you JUST AS YOU ARE,
with all the specific and unique talents, traits, abilities, gifts, personality.
He had a plan and a purpose for you so He created you for just that.

If you have never read it....Psalm 139 will spell it out for you.

"For you have formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother's womb.
 I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
 Marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well."

YOU ARE A TREASURE!!!!

There really aren't too many days that we feel like a treasure, or maybe not special at all. BUT if you stop and think about it, think about the fact that HE created you just as you are AND then He GAVE His one and ONLY son to die so you might live....
then, you might begin to grasp it.

Right now, I hope you can pause and just soak in the love of God,
 to FEEL treasured and cherished.

"For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die;
 yet perhaps for a good man someone woud even dare to die.
 But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were still sinner,
 Christ died for us."
Romans 5:6-8

You are special
You are wonderfully unique
You are beautiful, just as God created you
You are loved
You are treasured!!!!

XO
Love & Blessings!
Sherry





Sunday, August 12, 2012

DoN't bLinK!!!!!!

I do realize it has been forever....geez, how does the time go by so swiftly!?

 Time is the equalizer of all mankind and yet I find myself feeling as if I am particularly short of it most days. I know I am not the only one, nor am I the busiest person ever. In fact I have had much busier times in life, yet....time is escaping me at a rapid rate these days.

 Anyone else feel this way?

Is it just how it is for most people these days?  More than likely it is just another ploy of the enemy, trying to make us feel like we just cannot keep up.
I sure feel like that most of the time!

Back in the day (meaning several years ago when I was a young mom) I read a book "More Hours In My Day" and followed the author Emile Barnes. She had no "great secret" either,  it was just all about managing our time and doing things that will be more effective and purposeful.
I am pretty sure I am utilizing as many time skills as possible, yet it seems to escape me.
Once again....I KNOW I am not the only one!

When I was a mom of "younguns" I felt like the days were so long
. So much to do, so many demands on me, my time, my energies..... YET....I knew then, and it is even more apparent now...the days were fleeting!!! No matter how much I enjoyed my babies and my time with them, they were all gone before I knew it!
Oh how I miss those days of being mom, with all my little chickadees here in my roost.

Ah, but life in an empty nest sure isn't bad at all I have to say.

When I have the chance to tell young moms, I like to tell them...the days are LONG (there is SO much to do, so many demands on you in every direction) BUT the years are fleeting....
so be sure and enjoy every moment while you can!

 It is something you will never get back....EVER!!!!!!!

 'Whatever you do.....don't blink!!!!!

One of the things I like to do while I am not "blinking"is to capture the moment in my heart, like a photograph. I like to close my eyes and take it ALL in..the sights, the sounds, the faces, the memories. I look around and take  a mental photograph that will live on in my heart forever! As the years have gone on I have revisited some of those mental photographs and they are just as precious as those physical phot.ographs

SO, take it from the mom of an empty nest....one who at times aches for the sights and sounds of her precious kiddos being close at hand, little ones who still needed their mommy.

DON'T BLINK!!!!!!!!

XO