Girls, unplugged

     A couple of our girls have been struggling to manage their time and their stuff. Rob and I have scolded, complained, and given mild consequences to try to turn their sloppy habits around. This week, a trip up to their bedroom to change the bedding pushed us over the edge! The mess was all you can imagine a tween and teen girl could create and then some--we decided enough was enough.

     The discipline we imposed was to remove the privilege of using the computer, their iPods, and our Kindle for a while. Perhaps "unplugging" from the Internet will free up their attention to focus better on reading, chores, and studying. One thing is for sure--it got their attention!

     We have been loving the changes we're seeing already. And it hasn't been in how tidy or studious they've been, either. It's in the sudden burst of creativity as they fill their time with new craft projects. And the laughter in the house as the girls spend more time connecting with each other. There's more snuggling on the couch with us at the end of the day. Today found them playing out in the snow with their little brother and cooking up some good stuff in the kitchen.

     We intended to bring some discipline into their lives, but Rob and I have found we needed some correction too. Going forward, we can see we should be setting better boundaries around their screen time. We will be taking more trips to the craft store to keep the creativity flowing. And we'll unplug more often ourselves to enjoy time together.
     How does your family balance your time watching TV and going online? Ideas, please!

You might not want to come over...

My girls and I have caught a sloppy, sneezy, achy winter cold. The vaporizer is misting and the asthma nebulizer is humming. I'm downing hot coffee and ibuprofen. My five senses are dropping off one by one--I can't hear because my ears are plugged, and we can't smell or taste much. Our house is just one big petri dish of germs.

It's probably best that Rob has an office to run to this week! It seemed somewhat of a miracle that he actually walked through the door last night, willing to face the hacking and sneezing and piles of Kleenex all over. If anything lets me see Jesus in my husband, it's being sick.

Rob did the dishes, took out the trash, picked up every toy, bathed the little guy and tucked him in. I woke up to blissfully clear countertops and floors. The trash cans are empty so there's room to throw away the thousands of tissues we're using today.

Best yet, he didn't seem to notice how not beautiful I was last night. He didn't mention the lack of makeup, the baggy eyes, or the bedhead hair. He let me get close enough for a few hugs. I wasn't kicked out of bed to go sleep with a coughing, sneezing daughter--he even let me put my icy feet on his to stay warm.

Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17) Just like Rob didn't run away from the girls and me in all our germy ickiness, but he drew close to care for us and show his love, Jesus doesn't turn away from us in our sin. Instead, he's drawn to the ones who need him the most. He is fully aware of the germs of rebellion and stubbornness in our hearts. He came into this world to be close to us--to be one of us--and bring us total healing.

Be well!

Potty Ponderings

This is yet another morning of potty training at our house. Another morning of soggy socks and a half-naked cutie running around the living room. Another morning of skipping, excitement, and popsicle rewards when he’s “produced.”

What’s different today, though, is that instead of just a potty and a little kid trying to “get it”, I’m seeing myself. How many areas of maturity have I resisted and messed up and taken forever to get a handle on?

My little boy struggles to coordinate pulling off his airplane underwear and sitting down in time, but I’ve struggled to meet deadlines and organize my household well. Knowing what I ought to do doesn’t always match what I actually do. And just as my son has to practice again and again, each morning is another merciful opportunity to serve my family a little better than yesterday.

Five minutes ago the little, um, darling left a stinky mess on my fresh new area rug. How many times have I dumped harsh criticism all over my handsome-funny-brilliant husband? Or unloaded rants and rages on my three beautiful daughter-treasures? I know he didn’t mean to make another poopy mess, any more than I ever meant to lose control of my words and emotions. But it has happened and it’s ugly.

My son has all dignity removed when he’s stripped down, wiped up, and bare for all the world to see. God has done his best work in my heart and life when I’ve been laid bare too. Painful, humiliating failure has brought me to my knees before a God who loves me and lifts me up again. Having my weakness blown up so huge that I can’t possibly deny it has taught me to cling to my Strength—my heavenly Father who promises to grow me up and make me clean.

I will keep on potty training my son. We will plug our noses over the stink and do happy dances over every success. I’ll hug him, reward him, and never give up believing he’s going to beat this thing. And I’ll rejoice that my Father loves me just like that—He is going to stick with me until I look like Jesus.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)