Encouragement – Page 4

Perspective: From the eyes of a 9 year old

May 21, 2012 by Quin Leave a Comment

MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND:
I had the best, easiest, relaxing weekend in as long as I can remember. My husband drove us 2 hours away to satisfy a pregnancy craving for Fazzoli’s, bless his heart.

The day before that I had brought home a broken, old wooden rocker that I picked up off of city wide garbage pickup. My husband just smiled, knowing it was another one of my “projects”. With the help of the nice neighbor man, it was fixed & rocking again! Woo hoo!Just before we went out to eat we made a stop at the Spam museum in Austin, MN for a little family field trip. The kids had a fun time exploring & playing there.

After we had eaten we drove around for about a half hour looking for a Goodwill that I had visited once before and so loved. GPS led us all over town & had us both frustrated, but my guy did not give up. Once we found it, the greatest thing happened, he spent an hour and a half in there with the kids & I. We ended the evening with pizza and visiting with my father in law.

Sunday was filled with flowers being planted, spending time as a family & ending the evening with putting together our new firepit and enjoying hamburgers and smores. Delightful.

Even with all the goodness, later that night I felt bad.

I was just getting ready to wash the smell of the smoke from the fire off in the shower when I caught a glimpse of my growing belly in the mirror.
My first pregnancy I was thrilled with my expanding midsection. This time around it’s tougher to be excited about stretching out, because I know it’s never the same afterwards.

My 9 year old princess comes in the bathroom to say goodnight & smiled “aww you’re getting stretch marks! That’s exciting, it means the baby is healthy and growing”.

Exciting?!?! I took a deep breath, looked at the joy in her eyes, I smiled and said, “yes it is”.
I chose not to be a joy sucker. I chose not to whine about how those were left over from nearly 5 years ago when her brother was growing in my womb. I didn’t tell her that those would always be there & that I’d probably even get more in the coming months. She said good night & went on her way.

After she left the room, I got in the shower & decided to take on her perspective & leave mine behind (because mine stunk & hers was beautiful). Thank you little girl, for reminding me I’m who God made me to be, & he made me perfectly.

I’m stretched out from carrying my babies & that’s okay. I love my babies, no matter how old they get, they will always be my babies. These marks really don’t cause me any harm & I’m thankful to be alive and well enough to enjoy my family each day. That is what I will focus on, the good, because there is just so much of it!

Monday Madness: Visit Your Local Library

February 27, 2012 by Quin Leave a Comment

Monday Madness

As if Mondays aren’t busy enough, let me add one more thing for you to consider adding to your “to-do” list.

Take time this week to visit your local library. If you don’t have a library card, sign up for one. If you enjoy your visit make a plan to go back the next week also. You can spend anywhere from 5 minutes to a couple of hours there. Our local library carries books for all ages, VHS tapes, DVD’s, CD’s, books on CD, even coloring pages for the kids and games.

If you have extra books sitting around that you wouldn’t mind donating take them in and ask the librarian if they could use them.

Learning something new.

December 7, 2011 by Quin Leave a Comment

My friend Jennifer came over last weekend and taught me how to knit.
I’m thankful for this new activity, & getting to spend time with her.
I’m not sure if it is something I will keep up, but it has been fun to try.
As I struggled with how to hold the needles and where to put the yarn, I realized what my daughter must be going through as she is so often trying to learn something new in school.

We must all begin to show more compassion to others. Learning something totally foreign is difficult & takes time, but is not impossible.

Inspiration

February 22, 2011 by Quin Leave a Comment

Have I ever told you what inspired me to start being better? It was a book I bought on a whim for a buck at Dollar Tree in the Mall of America. Yes, I went all the way to the MOA and still shopped at Dollar Tree… What can I say, I LOVE that place.

So, this book is titled: 1,000 Ways to Be a Slightly Better Woman. It’s full of lists. My organized personality can sure appreciate a good list!

I seriously could not put it down once I started reading it. If it weren’t for the toddler in the house, I would’ve read right through it in one sitting.

From this book (and some other influences) I started serving my family healthier food, spending less money on materialistic things, organizing my closet, and just trying to be a better ME.

It’s not that the book was SO incredible, or some sort of best seller, but it just movitated me. I like being motivated right where I am, and this book was great at that.

What motivates YOU to be better?

Ps- I can feel our gracious God healing my physical body, and I feel SO honored. I am honored that He chose ME to live this life, to raise these kids, and to be a wife to this husband.

Thank you God!

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

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