Wednesday, October 20, 2004

 

One of Those Days

So today is one of those days. One of those days when it seems so hard to smile, hard to keep the faith. This is in spite of being abundantly blessed by my Heavenly Father. In spite of knowing in my heart that I serve a Lord who wants to prosper me and not harm me. As I write this, I realize that I do not have the luxury of allowing any thoughts from the enemy to enter my mind. I am looking around my (very) messy house and loving every inch of it. I am watching the baby intently grabbing the pail and finally putting it over her head. I am watching a very inquisitive and sensitive 4-year old become totally engrossed in his LEGO play. I am listening to a husband straightening up the kitchen after dinner thereby giving me the means to write in this blog. I am incredibly blessed and my God is an Awesome God! He is truly the author of all that is good and right and His power and His mercy know no end. The truth is that over the course of this day I was able to help a hurting family minister to their teenager, have a great disussion with a local pastor who is incredibly supportive of my mission and is allowing me to have an office in his church, reconnect with a (paying) writing client and fellowship with a mommy friend whom I discovered has a passion for writing like I do. This has been a day created by God and in His goodness He has protected my family and I throughout from countless possible mishaps. I continue to grow in grace and truth as I wait in joyful hope for the Christ to return.

Monday, October 18, 2004

 

A Little Thankfulness Goes a Long Way

Today I heard my four-year old son talking in the bathroom. I asked him what he was talking about and he said that he had made up a new prayer. I asked if I could listen and what he said was something like, "Dear God, thank You for everything. Thank you for my toothbrush, the shower curtain, the soap, my shampoo, my baby sister, the faucet..." and he went on naming various items as he saw them or thought of them. Wow, I thought. How wonderful to take the time out of one's day to thank God for something as seemingly mundane as a faucet! I was inspired by my son's simple act of gratitude and I thanked God for little things around my house all day. What a difference that made in an otherwise dreary, gray and rainy Cleveland Monday. Everyday I understand a little better why Jesus teaches us to become like little children so that we might enter into Heaven.

Take-home tip: Take at least a few minutes at least twice each day to find something to thank God for, no matter how down you are or how little you feel you have. It is wonderful what focusing on what you have instead of what you do not have can change your attitude.

Friday, October 15, 2004

 

No Nagging Zone

Yesterday my 4-year old son offered to help me put the groceries away and he grabbed a big bag of apples to put in the refrigerator. I gently reminded him,"Do not throw the apples around but be gentle with them or else you will bruise them." after an episode from the last shopping trip in which he was in fact being rather rough with the poor produce. My son very seriously said to me, "I don't need you to remind me of that Mommy. I remember what I did and I was not going to do it again." Ouch! I realized that I had not given him a chance to show his newfound respect for easy-to-bruise produce but instead in my zeal to keep him from making a mistake, I missed an opportunity for him to show me that he grown and changed. I was humbled and reminded to give others (husbands included) an opportunity to show what they can do before I offer pre-emptive correction.

Take-home tip: Be mindful of what you are correcting when dealing with others. Is it something that can correct itself? Can you let others make mistakes and correct them aferwards or do you always try to take control of outcomes of situations before you even know if your input is needed? You may save yourself some energy and foster growth in others by learning when to just "wait and see".

This small teachable moment echoes studies done by The Heritage Foundation that reveal that our children learn by being present with us as much as possible in a family setting. I would not trade these precious moments for anything else in this world.

Thursday, October 14, 2004

 

Family, Education, God and Work

Greetings! I am starting this blog because of the gentle yet persistent suggestion of my husband who is a big fan of blogs (and talk radio) and feels that I may have something to say. Actually, he knows that I have something to say because I am often going on about something. Hey, maybe he wants me to start this blog to give me another outlet for my ramblings and give his ears a rest.... I digress.

A psychiatrist, wife, mother of 2, homeschooling advocate, Christian conservative, African-American describes who I am. I have a special interest in issues of marriage and parenting and helping people to build stronger communities through church and family. I am horrified at the state of education in America today and I keep abreast of news in the field. I urge everyone to regularly check out www.EducationNews.org to stay informed on important issues in education.

I worry about the large numbers of our children diagnosed with mental illness and I challenge our society as a whole to consider causes, prevention and alternative treatments and lifestyle changes to address these problems.

I am always spending time considering how to be a better wife and mother and how to get everything done that a working woman needs to get done without going insane. I believe in the power of relationships to heal and the relationship that is my most treasured is my relationship with the Creator.

At this season in my life, I struggle with following God's will for my life as I re-create and expand my career to reflect my values and goals. I hope to be an inspiration to others who may be facing career transition as they pursue the call on their lives and embark on new and unfamiliar pathways. It is my prayer for all who read this blog that you will be blessed by reading this. I look forward to your comments.



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