Finding Calm in Chaos

     As I write, the house is quiet. Both my boys are in bed, and my husband is getting back into the routine of getting some side-work done. The dishes are done, my living/dinging room is somewhat clean, and I feel like I can finally take a deep breath.
     It's been a long couple of weeks/months. James has the whooping cough, so it's been a long road of Vitamin C, staying away from people so as not to spread it, and throwing up from coughing so hard. In the midst of the whooping cough, he's got a couple other health things going on with him that we're trying to figure out. Being a mama to two cute little boys can be hard at time, and I wonder how other moms do it with more kids than what I have. However, with how difficult and stressful life can be with my two boys, they are an absolute joy to my husband and I!
     My husband and I have learned a lot about marriage, parenting, and how stressful life can get. It's hard to take a deep breath and find calm when life is so chaotic. There have been several times this last week when I'm taking my husband to work so that I can have the car for the day, and we've prayed on the way to his work. We've prayed when we've got one baby screaming because he hates the car-seat, and another baby who's making his own happy noises in the back of the car. It's funny; the sounds of the baby's are in the background, but somehow my husband and I are able to focus on praying. It's hard for me to personally remember to pray to God when life is so chaotic, that I can't even remember what I bought to make for dinner that week, or when my oldest son woke up from his nap.
     Finding calm in Chaos... it's hard, isn't it?! There have been several nights recently that I'm just in tears at the end of the night because I feel like I'm at the end of my rope, and there's nothing left of me to grab onto anything. It's in these moments that I need to hold tight onto Christ. After all, his power is made perfect in our weakness. (2nd Corinthians 12:9)
     Another thing to remember when you're in the middle of chaos, is to stop and smell the roses every once and a while. Find joy in the little things. God knew what we needed when He blessed us with little Ezra!... he smiles all the time! He literally only cries if he's tired or in the carseat. His smiles remind me to find joy in the little things, to take a deep breath, and find calm in Christ during chaotic times.
Have a blessed week! 

When life gives you lemons...

All of us take life for granted. I was reminded once again this week of life’s little blessings that come our ways. On Wednesday’s I have to wake up around 7:30-ish to take a shower in time to leave by 8:00, so that I can teach piano. After I teach Piano in the morning, I help out people in our church. On this last Wednesday, I was just about to leave, when I hear from the door, “Cait-win!” 

I turn around, and my 4 yr. old brother, Elijah, said, “I didn't give you a hug and kiss goodbye.” 

With a smile, I ran up the 5 steps of stairs, and he jumps into my arms not wanting to let go for a long time. J

Eventually, reluctantly, he let go of me, and smiled. 

As I walked out the door, my heart filled with Joy that my little brother (who was almost the only one awake at the time) wanted to say goodbye to me. 

I’m sure we've all heard of the term, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

Do we really know what it means?
I found this on Wikipedia, and thought it fit perfect.

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" is a proverbial phrase used to encourage optimism and a can-do attitude in the face of adversity or misfortune. "Lemons" in this expression is used in the informal sense of the word, to indicate an unfortunate or inadequate situation, a meaning which probably stems from the sour and acidic taste of unsweetened lemon. "Lemonade" on the other hand, is a sweetened form of this same acerbic fruit, and so in the context of this expression, conveys the potential for pleasure and opportunity in seemingly bad situations.”

1) Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as for the Lord, and not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. --- Col. 3:23-24
2.) Don't boast about tomorrow, for you don't know what a day may bring. ---Prov. 27:1
3.) For what is your life? It is but a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. ---James 4:14
4.)This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. ---John 15:12
5.) Until now you have asked nothing in my name: ask, and you shall receive, that
 your joy may be full. ---John 16:24
6.) Love one another deeply, from the heart. ---1 Peter 1:22
7.) Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. --- 1 Peter 4:8
8.) Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. ---Romans 12:10
9.) Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. ---Proverbs 16:3
10.) "...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..." ---Jeremiah 29:11

Regrets, Correction, and Peace

Have you ever had regrets before? Of course you have! All of us have at one time or another. Yesterday I regretted that I didn't help my mom more. She was so stressed, and I knew it...then why is it I just walked away regretting it later? Because I was selfish! I was thinking about what I wanted to do at that point in time, not about how stressed my mom was. Looking back at it, I realized the mistake I had made, and I apologized!

Have you ever had a point in time when you were corrected by your parents, or even your own siblings? What do you do when that happens? Do you yell back and try to justify your sin? Or do you own up to it, and admit that your wrong? There are so many times that we, (yes even I) don't take that correction right. There was a time in my life, when I thought it meant that I was a failure...and so I went about doing my work, thinking that I was a failure. I didn't think I could do anything right...but I was wrong!!! I know that God puts people in our lives to correct us, help us, cry with us, and mold us. Correction is all part of molding us. If we were never corrected for something we did wrong...we would never learn!

After you're corrected, do you go about doing your work with a different attitude? Are you angry? Upset? Worried? Stressed? Or happy, Peaceful, and Joyful?
Ultimately, let God be your Peace! But let your parents, siblings, and friends Correct you, you never know, you just may regret if you don't listen.

1. Jeremiah 5:3,
   But they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent.
   
   
2. Jeremiah 7:28,
   You shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God or accept correction;...
   
   
   Jeremiah 17:23,
3. Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or takecorrection.

Giving Thanks ...even when it hurts!

We will be going on vacation on Monday, so I will write my Thanksgiving post now.

There are so many things to be grateful for, but are we grateful for our trials and tribulation?
Are we thankful that God gives us Joy in the midst of our trials?
Are we thankful for both the good and bad?
Make a list of each and every little thing you are grateful for. Trust me, it will fill a lot of pages. I'm thankful for my eyes, nose, mouth, heart, ears, family, love, siblings, friends ... well, you get the point.
Are you thankful for your family? Maybe you had a fight the other day with a family member, or friend. Are you still thankful for them?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV /Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Ephesians 5:20 ESV / Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Psalm 107:1 ESV / Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 7:17 ESV / I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

Thanksgiving Delights:On Thanksgiving Day we’re thankful forOur blessings all year through,For family we dearly love,For good friends, old and new.
For sun to light and warm our days,For stars that glow at night,For trees of green and skies of blue,And puffy clouds of white.
We’re grateful for our eyes that seeThe beauty all around,For arms to hug, and legs to walk,And ears to hear each sound.
The list of all we’re grateful forWould fill a great big book;Our thankful hearts find new delightsEverywhere we look!

~By Joanna Fuchs~