Sometimes There Are No Words

That's my phone.  Apparently, the iPad wasn't enough.  Now this.

Also, I'm wrapping my precious laptop in bubble wrap because if things happen in threes, this is the only Apple item we haven't attempted to destroy.  

And then, my older daughter managed to drop her chewing gum during church today. 

I hear you shrugging. 

She dropped her chewed gum from her mouth into her shirt sleeve somehow.  She was looking for it, mashing her arm against her leg and the chair before she discovered where she had lost the gum.  I was watching her, trying to figure out what she was doing.  When she reached up her sleeve and started pulling out long, elastic-y strings of gum, I grabbed her and we went to the ladies room.  I did the best I could with a piece of ice and a paper towel.  We both had the giggles by the time we were done.

The phone doesn't make me so giggly, though.

It was just one of those weird days.

The Hardest Kind of Teaching

A few weeks ago, I was standing with a group of mama's chatting while we watched our kids roll and romp in the sneak preview of spring with its glorious sunshine.  The kids were all crazy-insane and had to have several reminders on how to act appropriately. 

I called Thomas down and advised him on how to best correct his behavior.  He yes-ma'amed me and went back to playing.  I went back to watching kids run about while listening to the conversation of the other women.

I clenched my teeth as I watched my son do the exact same thing I'd just called him down for and I growled out for him to come see me.  He obediently trotted over, looking somewhat downcast, and stopped in front of me.

I stood there for a moment, breathing and chewing the inside of my lip.  I was just about to speak to Thomas when one of the other mom's nudged me a bit.

Thomas eyed her and seriously said, "Don't interrupt her.  She's talking to Jesus."

There were giggles around me and I cracked a grin because, he was right, I was talking to Jesus, imploring Him for wisdom and patience.

Two weeks later, that same child and I were going 'round about something else.  In exasperation, I called him to me and looked at him while I beseech-ed the Lord for a calm manner, wise and not cutting words, and patience. 

Thomas waited while I wrapped up my little conversation with God and he asked me, "Mom, what do you say to God when you're talking to Him like that?"

"That I won't kill one of you children because I don't look good in orange.", I shot back sarcastically. 

Thomas smiled like the charmer that he is so capable of being and replied, "Well you look pretty good in that orange!" as he indicated the shirt I was wearing.

I giggled and ruffled his hair.  I also told him that his sense of humor and God's faithfulness had just saved his hide!  With the tension of the moment broken, I knew that he knew what he'd been called over for and we just hugged and that was the end of the conversation.

These two stories have brought about much laughter as I've recounted them with others, but they've had me thinking, too.

Do my children realize that I have conversations with God off and on through-out each and every day?  Or do they think that the only time I cry out is when I'm frustrated or sad or need something?  I desperately want to model to them that our God is an every-day, all-in-the-little-things, whatever-is-on-your-heart-I-want-you-to-share-it-with-Me kind of God.

Like many, I've been keeping a notebook to jot down my 1000 Gifts for a couple of years now.  Because of this practice of seeking out the gifts of each day and recording them in a thankful manner, I've become much more aware of the little things that I had so often taken for granted. 

The discipline also encouraged more 'talk time' with the One who gave me the greatest gifts of all...Forgiveness.  Love.  Hope.  More 'talk time' has stirred my heart to a desire to spend more time in the Word.  More time in the Word brings about a hunger to know more about what He has said to us and the beautiful story He has recorded for us to help us to understand more about His heart and what He wants for our lives here on this Earth. 

All because of a attitude of thankfulness. 

The kids have their own 1000 Gifts notebooks now.  I pray I will be better able to show them that our God is a God worth talking to and sharing with and, though He is an ever present help in times of need, He is also good all the time and worthy of our praise, and that he cares about us so much that He wants, longs, for us to choose to chat with Him.

About all of it.  Not just the pleading of a soul-weary Mama.

Sundays

Hands down, Sunday morning is one of the most exasperating times of our week.  You'd think that getting ready for church would be just as joyful as being there, singing His praises and visiting with the church family.

And if it's like this in your house, I am truly thankful that your mornings are smoother than ours.  I hope that  you never experience the types of crazy that we have every.single.Sunday.morning here in our home.

We can have plenty of time to get ready or be in a time crunch, it doesn't matter: The part between waking and walking through the doors of the church is always the same.

G.R.O.W.L.Y.

And generally not in small ways.  There are tears and yells and looks of disbelief and mad scrambles.

We pack our church bags the night before, I know what everyone will wear, and breakfast is made well in advance.

Yet, inevitably, by the time we get in the car to go, I feel like a giant hypocrite for pasting on my smiley 'church face' knowing that I was threatening my children with their very freedoms just minutes before.  I spend a moment or two pleading for peace so that people might not realize just how dysfunctional our morning has been.

But you want to know what?  It's okay.  It's okay because we don't give in.  We don't stay home just because of the ugly.  We push through and we get everyone to church and breath in the holy of the gathering of His people.

Just like that, by His strength, we have pressed back the Enemy again.  Satan may have thrown his nasty curve ball, but Jesus batted it right out of the ball park and we all ran home, grateful for a time of celebrating the day and being thankful for all that He has done for us, all the He is doing for us, and all that He has promised to do for us.

Essential Oils & More

Joshua and I were just dating when our journey to a naturally healthy lifestyle began.  It started quietly and without our even really being aware of it.  While Joshua was in school to become a computer engineer, I opted to go to massage school.  We lived in different cities and when we visited, I would naturally bubble over about what we were learning in school.  It was fun and interesting and we both found ourselves seeking more. 

Fast forward a few years to after we were married and our first little one came along.  He was prone to ear infections and had super sensitive skin.  The antibiotics for the ear infections and the steroid cream for his eczema were constants in our home.  I kept researching and experimenting with herbs and essential oils, becoming aware of the ingredients in our soaps and lotions,  as well as tweaking our diets with real and whole food choices, and we soon found that the antibiotics could be reserved for bigger illnesses and we could cut out altogether the steroid cream (on our 18 month old!).

In fact, as time went by, we realized that our well visits spectacularly outnumbered our sick visits to our family doctor, even though our family was rapidly growing.  Friends jokingly referred to me as a witch doctor but began calling more and more with questions about how would we handle 'x' issue.

We found we'd accumulated a solid base of knowledge and it was working.  Despite the raised eyebrows and joking words, we continued on.  We were now out on a limb by ourselves in a lot of ways.  It was frustrating and discouraging in ways, but rewarding in others (namely the certainty that we were doing the best we knew how in seeing to our self-care and caring of our growing family).

We're still on that road.  We've still much to learn.  Our journey is no where near complete.

However, if you'd like to benefit from our over 15 years of learning and growing into a more natural lifestyle, email me.  I'd love to help you find the resources you're looking for and just chat with you about life!

oilblissbyaubrey@gmail.com

One of the natural options I reference most on the blog is essential oils.  We've been using them around here in various ways for over fifteen years.  In fact, I've shared them with hundreds of people and have a team full of folks who love their oils.   If you'd like to know more about the brand I use or more about essential oils in general, email me.  

I'd love to have you join my team and work with me towards building a healthier lifestyle for you and your family, too!  There are lots of folks jumping on the essential oils train these days, so why choose my team?  Simply put, I'm not a newbie.  I know my way around essential oils and I've got a fantastic community of healthy minded people who are ready to welcome you in and help you along.  So go ahead, get in touch.  Let's chat and see what we can do to get you on the road to natural health!

Baking Up A Storm

About once every two months, I spend a day in the kitchen baking muffins by the dozens, bread, and whatever dinner for the evening is to be. 

I always dread it, but as soon as I get to doing it, I am happy and I feel very productive.  I know that it benefits my family, and it feels good to know that I am serving them as well as thinking ahead.

Besides, the house smells heavenly and I don't have to worry about snacks for the kids.  They just snitch a muffin when they get hungry and I pretend like I don't see it.

I always intend to take a picture of the table when all bread and muffins are done and cooling, but honestly by then, I'm wiped out.  Proud of the job I've done, but ready to prop up my feet for a spell.  So here's a somewhere in the process shot...

After everything cools, I put the muffins into family-breakfast sized portions.  I remember when it only took 9, but we're up to 13 per bag these days to fill everyone's muffin needs.  We are blessed to have a chest-freezer and I keep it chock-full of different items to keep me out of the grocery stores anymore than strictly speaking necessary. 

Occasionally, we'll pull out a bag midweek, but by and large, these bags of muffins are reserved for Sunday mornings so we don't have to think about it.  Joshua just drops a couple of muffins on each plate along with some fruit or yogurt and, Voila! Breakfast is served!

What kinds of things do you do to make life for your family run more smoothly?  I'm always looking for new ways to save sanity. 

Discovered

In a fit of Spring Cleaning, I tugged open the table and took the leaf out so I could deal with the nasty crustiness that builds up in the cracks.  I hefted the leaf up and took it to lean it carefully against a wall.  When I returned to the table, something caught my eye.  I knelt down, then headed straight to the living room to stutter to my husband that there was a man-job at hand.

Because I didn't inspect it too closely, but I was concerned that the dark, shadowy thing on the cheese might have life in it.

Turns out it was just meat.

Dear Child of Mine,

I know who you are and now I know where you're stashing your unwanted food stuffs.  Listen to the words of your Wise-To-Your-Wiley-Ways-Mama...I know.  I know!

It is my wish that we never repeat this incident again, yes ma'am, Little One?

Love,
Your Mama