Once Upon A Time....

There lived a young woman all alone, until she met her prince.  And everyone often said, when your prince comes...happily ever after DOES exist. But they didn't tell you the rest of the story.

Happily ever after isn't a state of being...it is an act of contentment when life is hard.

Yes, contentment in the good times, and bad. Contentment in sunshine and rain. Contentment during rain or lighting.  

Contentment........what is it"

con·tent·ment
noun1.the state of being contented;  satisfaction; ease of mind.2.Archaic . the act of making contentedly satisfied.

 It is a state of being, a choice. It is more than just an action, it is a mind set.  We have to choose contentment. It is an act of being contentedly satisfied. This means it is a choice. 

Is it easy........NO.  

It is hard to be content sometimes and not utterly lose your mind. Like when your 11 year old has putt of doing an assignment then gets overwhelmed to the point of tears. You want to act in frustration instead of contentment. There is a choice, one can act in frustration and make the problem. The other choice is to choose to act out of contentment. The upset child and the unfinished assignment is a temporary problem. With guidance and loving discipline the problem can be resolved. Will everyone be happy? Most likely, NO. Because in bringing about correction in the child, the child will be unhappy. You may or may not still be upset that you even had to remind said child 1000 times to do the assignment. BUT...you can be 

....

.....

CONTENT.  

You can find contentment in that the Father is helping you teach your child the things that will get him far in life.  You can find satisfaction when the child completed what was supposed to be done because you acted like a parent and pushed the issue.

It is in parenting one finds what contentment is all about.  You can be so frustrates as a parent you wish YOU could lay in the floor and throw a tantrum or create the drama your child is showing (even if he doesn't throw it in the floor at 11). That is an option. Probably not one the kids or the neighbors would like. They might call the men in the white truck with the special backwards jacket. So that probably...isn't the right choice.  

The other choice is to use it to teach the child.

In marriage, contentment is choosing to enjoy your spouse even when you are so mad you wish you could build a dog house to stick them in. Seeing as we don't have one.  (No I have not had a fight with Mike). Or you can choose to call on Jesus in the middle of the situation showing you are content in HIM to help you through.

And therein lies the key to contentment..............JESUS!  He is the only way for contentment to be found.  

Contentment does not mean the problems will go away and magically disappear. It means you can lie down next to the Master in the boat and sleep while the tempest rages.  It means through prayer you find communion to put the mind at ease, despite the crashing waves.

Contentment means when the storm is at its' worst you are sitting at the Master's feet, waiting for the still small voice. 

That brings us back to......Once Upon a Time love brought  a TRUE story and not a fairy tale, that Jesus said

"Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" Matthew 11:28

That my friends is CONTENTMENT.

Lord, let me be content in my journey, no matter what storms blows and the sea rages, let me find  rest in our and give control and the load of my burdens.

Jesus,take my hand and let me hold it in complete contentment as my children just walk up and slip their wee hands into mine, knowing they are safe and secure.

Spring Break...day one

Tomorrow, April 2nd we will officially be on spring break. I have lots of plans for spring cleaning on our first day of spring break. I also plan for a trip to the library and then tomorrow night, I am going to set up a camping extravaganza Strobl style.  We are going to have a camp out in the family room.

Menu: Hot dogs and chips

I am going to have them cut out stars to decorate the room with and figure out a way to make  a "camp fire". We may do some microwave smores.  Christopher will eat just plain marshmallows.

We are going to look for lightning bugs as dusk and tell "scary stories" (not really scary but you know what I mean).

We are going to grab our sleeping bags and blankets and camp out in Camp Strobl.

I am looking forward to this.  Our spring cleaning, really should not take that long, so hopefully most of the day will be filled with making memories.

Watch for upcoming feature pictures from Camp Stobl.
Stay tuned...for Spring Break Adventure 2012

Tweens and Teens

All of a sudden I realize, that tweenitis is upon us.  Now, there was a time, that preteen type behavior did not hit until closer to 12. These days tweenitis begins much earlier than it did back in my day.  Back in my day, no I am not getting old or middle aged.

The definition of a tween as per google:

A tween is a child between the ages of 9 and 12. A tween is no longer a little child, but not quite a teenager. While a tween is not yet in the midst of adolescence, he or she will face a variety of obstacles in the next few years including transitioning from elementary school to middle school, approaching puberty, increasing responsibilities, increasing amounts of homework, and exposure to dangerous behaviors by their peers including drugs, sex, and more.

Now today while in the Christian bookstore, let me plug Lifeway Christian Stores here, LOVE that store. And yes I used love because the sheer help their products have been to me.  I found a book called : Mom's Ultimate Guide to the Tween Girl World by Nancy Rue. She sets the time for tween age as 8 to 12.  I agree with her. My sweet daughter can be wonderfully all little girl one day and the next seem like a moody teen girl. She is already being faced with decisions I never dreamed of at 8.  Her "best friend" told her yesterday she wouldn't be friends with her anymore, because she was treating her like a baby.  I said, Well, what happened Hannah? Hannah said "Mommy I have no idea, she just, like that, didn't want to be my friend".  I talked with her about how kids will do that and that we must forgive and be that person's friend regardless.  But really "mean girls" at 8 years old. It blows my mind.  Hannah is a sweet, compassionate little girl. I just pray that she never treats another child the way she was treated yesterday. Peer pressure at 8 to wear ear rings, like or not like a certain pop star. How it isn't cool to wear some things but it okay to wear others.  Is it just me, or  does it appear that the waves of tween/teen times is about to crash over this house.  I do not remember it being quite so intense at age 8.  I played with everyone and while I had a "best friend" she happened to be my sister. My friends at school were all equally liked and I played with whomever would play. Now in the 2nd grade, they are already dividing into cool, not   so cool and who knows what else. Where Hannah, falls....I have no idea.  I hope I can teach her, that a girl needs to be herself and be proud of who God has made her to be.

Christopher being well into his tween years seems to be weathering it pretty well. Although, apparently he has had to ask some guy questions of his father, that Mommy is not privy to know.  I find it cute and precious that he knows he can go to his Daddy with these questions. I sure do NOT know how to answer.  The fact that puberty, is just around the corner has sent  me running to the Word of God and Christian books about teens and tweens. I now have in my possession a book about boys and dealing with these difficult years and one for girls.

Jenny is still refreshingly, completely and utterly all LITTLE girl with her cute pronunciations, and view of the world as filled with sunshine and rainbows.  My older two are all too aware that life is not all sunshine, rainbows and butterflies. They are already facing things that requires them to be secure in themselves and in their Lord. My job as a mother, is to guide them.  I am not afraid on one hand, but on the other, the responsibility sends me quaking to my knees to cry out FATHER, help me know what to do.  He is my source and the one who can  help me, and  help me to help them weather this next chapter in life. Puberty...it isn't here yet..but it headed this way full force.

I pray that as a mother I can be a shining example of womanhood to both my son and my daughters. Both of them need to see me as a Godly, prayerful woman, who seeks God for EVERY situation.  They need to see me being a wife to Mike that is supportive and loving and prayerful. In seeing that, they will learn what they need for the future.  I can not do this in my own strength...so I look to my Redeemer from whom my help comes.  I also pray that as a mother, I will use wisdom as to when to let go and little and when to hold on tight and hold them back for stuff they are not ready to face yet.

Now...off to read and get ready for my kids to come home and spend some quality time, planting seeds and watering them so  that my children can blossom into who God is making them to be.

Blessings abound in the quietest of ways

When life seems to be throwing things at you left and right....
and it seems like nothing is turning out quite right...
God has a way of speaking blessing in quiet, gentle ways
like sun warmed breezes on beautiful spring days
like the sound of joy
echoing from your girls and boy
like the feel of your sweetheart's hand
or seeing your child for His Lord take a stand.
It is the sparrow hopping around trusting the creator for his every need




and it is the still quiet voice who whispers the loving instructions we should heed.
Oh what a blessing it is to know His love
and that one day we will bask in eternity above...

You know I was feeling down, frustrated and down right cranky earlier, but just a moment ago, the Lord whispered to my heart, be still and know that I am God.  I know where you are, I know what you feel. I am yours and you are mine.  Rest, and enjoy all the little blessings that surround you because they add up to the mighty things God is doing, has done and will always do in your life.

God is good all the time
and all the time

GOD IS GOOD!

The Perfect Mother

My little girl said to me…Mommy you are the best mommy in the world to me

I looked at her and felt the lack of all the things that I could be..

I know my mistakes, my stumbles and my falls all the things I am yet to be

I kept my thoughts to myself as she put her sweet lips up for a kiss

Love light filled her eyes and joy filled love I could not miss.

I whispered to my Father above…Lord, what she says is not me

And He lovingly whispered back..perfection is not in what you do

It is not in what you say

But it is in the love you willingly give when you are tired.

It is in the times you walk the floor holding your children close

Praying that this bout of cold will end.

It is the times you sew on a project, due the next day

Or go without when your child needs something.

Perfection is in the way you love your child mistakes and all

Because she is the perfect child for you and you are the perfect mother for her.

Perfection is, knowing you make mistakes and being willing to learn and grow

And striving to be all you can be, even when you have felt like giving up.

Perfection in motherhood is not about never making mistakes…

It is about loving your child through the mistakes and learning

That love transcends all time, space and errors…

Perfection is those times your cry out to me and say

I cannot do this another day

And lean on me, to hold you up.

Perfection is knowing you want to do better and trying to do so

And loving your children and teaching them to never give up…

Perfection in motherhood is knowing you can’t be perfect but trusting

You have and will do your best to love and teach your children

To rise above their mistakes and believe they can be all they can be..

In other words, my child, Perfection is what you see mirrored in your child’s eyes.

Because she loves you just as you are…just as I do.

By Thelma Strobl  February 24, 2012(Copyright 2012..Thelma Strobl)

Dedicated to my 3 children who are the perfect children for me.

Concussions, pop stars and Mommy adventures

Life is always busy, especially, now that all 3 children are in school. I know I have had those busy phases of motherhood...infancy, toddler hood, potty training and all of that. However, this is a new kind of busy.  All 3 kids have homework, places to go, people to say, ideas, drama........drama and more drama.  There is truly never a dull moment in my Mommy adventures.

The other day at school, during a practice for a performance, Christopher fell from the stage and hit his head.  I did find out, some other kids were goofing off and he got knocked off. The teacher actually said the words, Your son was behaving himself, he did not cause this".  I was very glad. She went on to tell me that my son, has  great character and that all 3 of my kids shine in attitude, behavior and character. Now, while I know they are great kids, I was so blessed by her words.  I am over come with joy that my children's character shines like the sun.  It goes to show you that all those JBQ study sessions, praying with them, teaching them, disciplining them and working together as a team WORK!  It makes all the hard moments worthwhile. What they are learning is sinking into their hearts and I am so thankful.

(Here he is trying to block the light in the ER because it hurt his eyes..it is called being photo-phobic..i.e. light sensitive and is one of many possible symptoms of a concussion.)
(And even if you are 11, when you don't feel well, you need your favorite blanket and bear...)

Hannah had an assignment to give an oral report about a famous person. She chose Selena Gomez.  She really worked hard on it. She arranged the poster herself, showing she has a sense of style and an eye for what looks good.  I am proud of her. She dressed as her star and got to wear make up for the day. She was beyond excited. Although, she gave a heavy sigh when I told her not to get used to it.  She wants to grow up too fast.

(Hannah dressed up as Selena Gomez)

Jenny is growing too. She met a friend, who happens to be a boy going into the school yesterday.  They took each other's hand and walked down the hallway together, with her saying, bye Mom...I love you. They grow up and you watch pieces of your heart walk right into the future. You see glimpses of who they will be one day.

What I see, are 3 children, filled with compassion and integrity and I am proud. I am awed by what God is doing in them and through them. How, I as a mother, nurture that...gets scary sometimes.  The responsibility God has placed on me is enormous. However, I know I can lean on HIM and get all I need.

Life keeps me busy....every day is a Mommy adventure of some kind.  Times change, seasons change, people change...and we have to rely on the one who NEVER changes. He is eternally our King and our God, upholding us, guiding us, leading us, loving us.  He is with us in the grand adventure of life..making it all worth while, even if it does not feel that way sometimes. God is my anchor, my rock, my refuge and I run into His arms and find..that this adventure is filled with peace and joy and love.

New year......what will 2012 bring

New Year......it always brings resolutions or the attempt at resolutions.  I am hoping I can lose some weight and gain a job.  2011 had its joys, sorrows, hardships and trials.  However, through it all one thing remained steady.......my Lord.  As for my husband and children...and self.....we grew, we made mistakes, we learned, we laughed and we loved.  We prayed, we cried, we rejoiced, we played and we planned. Life...it is made up of all of these things.  So what will 2012 bring?  More of the same, joys, sorrows, hopes realized, hopes and dreams that change, a little of this and a little of that. Yet one thing will remain the same.......my Lord.  HE never changes. His promises are yes and amen.  He is the rock, our foundation, the one and only constant we can count on. The economy, politics, gas prices, etc etc...all change, with ups and downs like the proverbial roller coaster, but my Lord.......He is never changing, ever loving, ever merciful, ever the peace giver, the provider.  Will I accomplish EVERYTHING I want this year, most likely not, BUT my Lord......He will grow me, change me, mold me and make me.  However, I must yield to the growing, the molding, the making, and the changing.  HE knows what I will face this year. I trust HIM.

I thank God for my family, the love in our home, the warmth in our hearts.  What we have far outweighs what the world has or wants.  Our children have grown in grace, beauty, and in the Lord.  As their bodies grow, their minds expand and their faith continues to blossom. I excitedly see, the hopes and the dreams for the future.  I want to see life like they see it, full of possibility instead of maybes.  Full of promises, instead of possibly.  They see life as an adventure, another day to find and discover what life and the Lord holds for them. Do they voice this? No but they live it.  Every day is a new day..ready for discovery, ready to live, ready to find joy in the journey.

My dreams for this family is to grow in Jesus and in our love for each other. Love is ever growing, ever changing, ever deepening.  I commit to this family to be the wife, mother, God has called me to be. Will I do it perfectly? No but my God, my King is my strength, my source the one on whom I can depend.  The one who will help me walk the walk, talk the talk and be there to pick me up when I fall down. We ALL fall down, we all make mistakes...the key is getting up and moving on in Jesus. Letting Him,  hold our hand, pick us up, dust us off and teach us how to avoid the pitfalls.  Not one of us, no not one, can walk it perfectly, BUT everyone of us can rely on our Redeemer, our Refuge to be our ever present help.

My prayer is that I will find more in Jesus this year than ever before.  That others will see more Jesus in me. That I will make a difference in the life of someone and that I will live to serve Jesus and others. That I will think what can I do for someone today that will make their life better?

So whatever comes, whatever winds blow...I will trust on the one who holds my hand because He knows my tomorrow and His plans are written already in His Word:

Jeremiah 29:11
New International Version (NIV)
¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future