Moms in Prayer Meet Desperate

Last week our Moms in Prayer group/book club had the privilege of a SKYPE date with one of the authors of our book, Desperate.  After having met her and listening to her at the Mom Heart conference, I knew the group was in for a treat.  We came prepared to the computer screen (thanks, St. Alan) with a question on our minds or on paper minutes after we had discussed chapter nine and ten.  Sarah Mae greeted us enthusiastically with a little one on her lap who wasn't feeling well.  The conversation flowed naturally.  Who she is in the pages of the book is who she really is.  We all could see that and it was comforting because we had all come to like her; she was so relate-able.

She answered our questions truthfully and honestly.  She didn't pretend to be an expert.  She didn't even pretend to be really good at it--this whole mothering and wife role.  She was candid in her answers, and seemed to be getting through it one moment at a time, messing up plenty (just like the rest of us).  She focused on grace.  She focused on finding our strengths. She focused on trial and error and at the end of the conversation I was grateful for the opportunity to bring life to the book--to our club.  First meeting her at the conference and now this. . .it was only God's doing.  Only God.

Our group of women have been meeting regularly and readily admit it is only by the grace of God that we get through some of the messy mothering moments.  It is humbling to share your weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and fear to a group of women who you didn't know well until the reading of this book began only a month or so ago.  The pages of this book are bringing some women closer to God, more intentional with their kids, gracious with husbands.  This book has served as a springboard for examination of self, which may or may not lead to changes for the good of our kids, our marriages, our homes, our families.

While I realize not every author will commit to a SKYPE interview, I am so thankful that Sarah Mae did for the sake of our group. I was reminded not to  hero worship  as we are all in the same battle for our kids' hearts and minds.  In a culture that screams loudly for attention elsewhere, I was reminded by Sarah Mae's candidness and her opinions, to be okay with who I am and to listen to who God is calling me to be. I was reminded that I. Can. Not. Do. It. All.  I must accept that and move on.

Along those lines, it's okay to let my husband off the hook if he's not leading the way I think it should be done.  He is present.  That is enough.  My prayers are all I can offer, and besides--if I want it done then I should just do it. Don't blame him for not being where I want him to be. I needed to hear that. Such great advice!

I needed the SKYPE date, not because Sarah Mae is famous but because she is real.  All I can do is put my best foot forward and some days even that isn't going to look to promising.  That's my life.  And that's okay.

Week in Review

Our new normal feels like a bit of an extended vacation.  Even though the kids went back to school, and I went back to teach my one day this week. . .we are, for the most part together a lot.  With Ernie home, the two of us work together to tackle breakfasts, lunch making, homework help, dinner and clean up.  I have nothing to complain about.  We had a play date with one of Nessa's besties, went to Jumpin' Jacks with imoms, participated in Toddler Time at the library, and thoroughly enjoyed walking to Parent Participation pre-school this week.  AND we even braved the cold yesterday and resumed our weekly Friday park dates.

A spontaneous meetup with a friend resulted in Ernie and my brother attending a book club at a local church.  The three of us stayed up late leafing through it and I sat quietly listening to them excited and hopeful for what the book and the fellowship might offer .  Thursday morning several woman gathered at my house and a new Good Morning Girls Group was formed, which I felt called to lead.  I am so excited because also on the agenda is a Moms in Prayer group with these moms who attend the same school as my kids!  We are also working out the details for a book club, but we just don't know what to read:  Mission to Motherhood, Desperate, or A Thousand Gifts.  We will pray about it and what it needs to look like. . .but we are women who are inspired and inspiring other women.  How awesome and beautiful is that? I feel so grateful.

This morning I ventured out with my mom to a couple estate and yard sales and found a couple treasures AND tonight we will celebrate a friend's fortieth birthday at a fancy schmansy country club.  Awe.  Life.  It is so deliciously good--and about to taste even better starting tomorrow: )
My list is made as I head off to the grocery store to get a jump start on my resolution to cook more and plan ahead better.  Knowing Weelicious and Not Your Mothers Make Ahead and Freeze cookbook have helped!  I feel like I'm off to a great start and am looking forward to church and time in the kitchen tomorrow.  Week one of our "new normal" complete.

April 2, 2012

This weekend turned into one of staying home, snuggled up on the couch surrounded by books and snuggles from kids (once returned from a cousin's baseball game). Bones aching, throat sore, and with no television to escape to, I filled the valuable quiet  time with reading.
I was able to finish this one, which I mentioned last week.

The author Katrina Kenison writes with such insight about this life I am entrenched in. She empathizes with the mother who feels like life is moving too quickly.  She writes a chapter dealing with simplicity, "So often it seems, we are the ones who make our lives more complicated than they need to be.  We set the bar too high, take on too much, turn small doings into big ones.  In part the culture is to blame. . .There is more to see, more to buy than ever before.  And how easy it is to fall into thinking that living well means partaking of all that's offered.  With so many options and opportunities  to choose from, it can be a challenge just figuring out where to draw the line."  (35)


Towards the end of the book, she quoted Thomas Moore, family,  he wrote, "is the nest in which the soul is born, nurtured, and released into life." (218)  The timing of this particular quote is symbolic because just last week, I noticed our bird friend is back in a plusher nest above our patio speaker.  I like to watch her, listen to her chirp, and think about whether or not we will see the eggs she probably sits upon.  Last year, I hardly noticed when she left. . .and I definitely never noticed the babies. I don't want to miss out on the life that is occurring here in this place--each day it happens, some days more daunting than others but I know in a flash it will be gone and I don't want to miss it by being over scheduled, over burdened, or by comparing what my kids do to those around me.  I just don't want to live like that and this book spoke to my heart.

In her next book,

 her boys are now grown--one will soon be leaving the nest and is heading off to college.  Her spirit is restless as she tries to cope with losing a job she loved and boys who don't need her in the same ways.  You must watch this clip of her reading from this book. It's beautiful as the book was.

My weekend reading left me lifted up and encouraged.  I found peace and comfort in the calmness of the world that she created for her sons.  My Everyday Extraordinary is simply the Gift of Ordinary Days. . .blessed immensely and ever grateful.

March 27, 2012

With the wet weather and sicknesses lingering, this weekend amounted to a lot of down time in pj's and reading books.  I was actually able to finish Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal by Michale Kelley.  It is the story of his son's battle with leukemia and how he beat it, but not before his family had to turn their faith (noun) into faith (action). Real faith is hard.  It's something you have to fight for .  It's something you have to choose.  And you have to fight and choose in the face of evidence rather than with the evidence on your side.  By definition, faith is believing something to be real or true  even though you can't see it." (157)

It hit home for two reasons.  Recently, my husband alluded to the same thought as I contemplated a job change for next year and also because we dealt with my mom's stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis seven years ago. So, I've felt that same sense of drowning in a sea of unknowns that only He could begin to dissolve and bring me to the surface where I could breathe deeply his peace.
Kelley writes, ". . .I realized that faith had never been hard.  It had never been work.  But it surely was now.  But this was a moment when we couldn't just have faith; we had to choose faith.  It had to be as conscious as any other decision; choosing faith was hard. Annoyingly hard. Frustratingly hard." (11)

I've always known we are children of God, but Kelley made me realize that poverty opens the door for us to realize it fully--and it is in our weaknesses and moments of the terrifying unknown that we too are poor--poor in spirit, poor in heart, poor in health and we must choose faith.  This definition of poverty was new for me in concept--but one I know I've felt before nonetheless.

A verse he used that made me reflect on what my own mom's cancer did to our family, our community of friends:  Galatians 6:2: "Carry  one another's burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." It was that reminder to be there and to make yourself available to those facing trying times. I know my mom was blessed by an outpouring of  dinners, and hand-made blankets, and pink hats and ribbons and all were appreciated; however, the physical presence, that text message, that email, card in the mail, surprise visit--all probably mattered so much more. We are the hands and feet of Jesus.  And believing in Him in trying times is hard work:  "This is the work of God--that you believe in the One He has sent. (John 6:29)

And ultimately, Kelley asks the question that is asked by God:  Do you trust me?
"Trust is so important that God will fight us for it." (233)
"As God fights for our faith, we are forced to reckon with our own lack of faith.  We are forced to realize the path of selfishness and self-preservation we have been on. . ." (235)

I liked the way Kelley tied scripture into each chapter as he told the stories of Jacob, Moses, Paul, and others that shed new light on the bible stories I've read as a child but so much more wisdom to be gained now as an adult.  This book brought me back to my mom's days of sickness--what lessons did I learn? What lessons have I learned as a result of my mom and how she dealt with everything?  What lessons did my dad teach me during his journey?  How was my relationship with my husband altered, how am I different as a mom? 

So, although the book was about a little boy who triumphed over his leukemia, it really was more about that journey and the lessons the daddy learned...and  how his faith was rocked and put into action. A lesson for us all.

  I stayed up too late finishing this read.  I always like Piccoult  and she does not disappoint with her skill of masterful storytelling through the points-of-view of multiple characters.  She does this with ease and usually this is what I enjoy most about her novels.  While I liked the overall story line and its complexities with dealing with organ donation and "pulling the plug," I had problems reading about the main character, Luke and his experiences with living with wolves. . .not problems I guess, I just found it a little. . .much.

All in all, though--I enjoyed the story and am so glad I finished it because. . .

comes out today!!  I will have a new book to read on my nightstand by another favorite author.  Only this book is the end of this series, so it will be a sad read knowing that there is nothing more to come: (

March 8, 2012

I finished up this book this week. Darlene Schacht is the author of the blog Time-Warp Wife and co-author of the book Reshaping it All, (also a great, motivational read). She was kind to give me a copy of her new ebook, The Good Wife's Guide, for review.

The cover seemed to call to me...a throwback to Leave it to Beaver. . .The Brady Bunch, maybe?  I was surprised to find so much helpful information that really put the meaning of being my husband's help mate into perspective. I also love that she takes the vantage point  it doesn't matter if you are a stay at home mama or a working mama--we can all learn how to  make our families our first priority and serve them joyfully.  Often times this means prioritizing and gasp--planning ahead  (not my strongest suit when the demands of life seem overwhelming)--but necessary nonetheless.

The chapter titled, "Curb Appeal" resonated for me.  I liked the reminders that not dumping on my husband the minute he walked in the door and making both the house and myself somewhat presentable for him are definitely worth the effort. I love the scent of a clean home even when there is definitely some cleaning to do--and four nights out of five he will remark how good the house smells--never focusing on what it looks like.  I must admit, that is a plus to owning a smaller home.  The kitchen and living room are pretty easy to keep clean--and I'm blessed by a man who notices. She writes, "Life can be chaotic at times, but I've recently discovered that the key to controlling the chaos is sacrifice."  She then delves into what sacrifice means to our families and what it might look like.

One of my favorite parts of the book is one that deals with cleaning house.  She has supplied different bible verses to enable or encourage us to joyfully serve with a heart of worship.  I loved the verses and although I do not have them all memorized (yet--maybe someday) I have them written out on notecards and can flip through them when I have that nagging sensation that what I'm doing is mundane or unimportant. I like the reminder that "Scripture isn't a candy bowl by which we pick and choose our favorite words hoping to satiate our palette." ¹⁸ The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 

Darlene talks about submission and I guess that is where some women could get turned off. But really she defines it with, "The ideal picture of submission is that of two people loving and serving each other," not an overbearing husband making menial demands of his wife. Submitting to our husbands and not acting selfishly on our own behalf is not a bad thing!

The last portion of the book is filled with practical applications and housekeeping schedules.  While none of it is "rocket science"  I enjoy reading other people's plans and advice as it relates to managing my home environment so it runs efficiently--and Darlene did just that!

February 28, 2011

I just finished this book:  Radical by David Platt.  Wow!  In the final chapter, one quote that stood out to me, perhaps because of my blog's name is, "In our quest for the extraordinary, we often overlook the importance of the ordinary, and I'm proposing that a radical lifestyle actually begins with an extraordinary commitment to ordinary practices that have marked Christians who have affected the world throughout history.  How will it transform your life, radicalize you, to let your mind and spirit be saturated by the word of God day after day?. . .read the entire bible in a year."

This is my second attempt at reading the bible in a year.  Growing up, although I attended Catholic School, we never read the bible cover to cover.  We weren't required to memorize verses either, which disappoints me today.  I find myself trying to memorize right alongside my children, which works, but I wish I had more extensive knowledge of the bible instead of googling verses about (fill in the blank).

I've spent too much time time looking for this or that from my church community--which ironically, the author points out--
". . .if  'God loves me" is the message of Christianity, then who is the object of Christianity? Me.  God loves me.  Christianity's object is me. Therefore when I look for a church, I look for the music that best fits me and the programs that best cater to me and my family. . .I will choose according to what is best for me."  This is not biblical Christianity.

"The message of biblical Christianity is 'God loves me so that I might make him--his ways, his salvation, his glory, and his greatness known among all nations.'" Yes!!!

There is a list of five steps we can take to live the Radical Experiment.
1.  Pray for the entire world.
2.  Read through the entire word.
3.  Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose.
4.  Spend your time in another context.
5.  Commit your life to a multiplying community.

Each step is explained in depth and there is also a website with  resources. I dug into this book and read parts aloud to Ernie. I like that I walk away with specific things to ponder.  I like that it encouraged me with the path I am currently on in terms of a bible reading plan and praying for others.  I appreciate Platt's view of what is going on in the world, those suffering in poverty, and those who do not have the opportunity to know our Lord.

There is something I can do. Right now. And so can you.  Pray.  This Lenten season, let us all offer up prayers for the world.

February 16, 2012

The plus side to over a week of illness with little ones you ask? I did some reading!  With a little one tucked under my arm or head in my lap, I was able to read while they slept.  That's how I could tell that they were really under the weather.

Bringing Up Geeks (Gifted, Enthusiastic, Empowered Kids) by Marybeth Hicks was excellent and validated many of my thoughts about  our kids being exposed to way too much at way too young!
I also love the positive way that the word geek was redefined by Hicks and her children.  To raise my kids that they might be granted geek status--I can only hope and work really hard now.

There are ten rules in raising a geek.  Each chapter is geared towards identifying and giving parents practical tools and real life examples of accomplishing this such goal.  I really liked at the end of each chapter how she gave specific tips geared to the different aged groups:  elementary, middle, and high school--no age is excluded, boys and girls alike.  It is brilliant!  I found it as an excellent resource full of ideas on how to handle things to come, as well as supporting those things I am doing now that will separate my kids from the "rest of them."

Where You Left Me is a memoir of a 9/11 widow and how she came to terms with losing her husband in the attack on the World Trade Center. If there is such a thing. . . It moved me to tears at one point because I really can't even begin to imagine and as eloquent as she wrote about the aftermath of her loss, my brain still could not wrap itself around the thought of how my life would be rocked without my husband.  Honestly, I was unprepared for this book--the cover caught my attention as I quickly perused a library shelf of new arrivals.  Once I began, I finished it late that same night--praying this woman would find some peace.

I also had the good fortune of finding The Baker's Wife by Erin Healy--what a page turner this was!  It was not one that I read the back cover either--I grabbed and ran but oh, I'm so glad I did!  A preacher is asked to leave his church due to a "situation." He and his wife become owners of a bakery and they get on with their lives as they feel they are called to do; however,  there's a whole big mess that the baker's wife finds herself caught in the middle of!  I stayed up way too late and got up way too early to finish this one too!

January 26, 2012

I've accomplished some reading this month, if you're interested. . .

Praying for Strangers by River Jordan (cool name, isn't it?) is a story of her New Year's resolution to pray for strangers.  I loved her recounts of some of her real life experiences of the power of prayer.  I admired her courage to approach people and offer her prayer for them.  It was beautiful to think about how such a simple act could be life changing for both parties involved.

The Secrets of Happy Families by Scott Haltzman was. . .okay.  I felt like I didn't walk away with much more than I already knew.  The eight keys to building a lifetime of connection and contentment are not rocket science and I found their survey of only 1,266 men and women to be limited.  I found myself flipping past some pages because I feel like I've seen the research before. . .

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford was my first library check out for my Pandigital, Kindle-like reader.  I was worried because I only had it for two weeks.  There was no need to worry because I devoured it in like. . .three days.  I stayed up way too late and did way too little with my days.  I could not put it down.  When I taught ninth grade I became interested in internment camps after reading Picture Bride and Farewell to Manzanar.  This book grabbed me from page one--it was such a great read!  I find it hard to believe that this is Ford's debut novel--I was enthralled with the story line--it's sweet and bitter--a perfect combination of the two!

Another digital read that I finished way too quickly was Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin.  It takes place in Mississippi in the 1970's and is the story of two boyhood pals that spans two decades.  They were never supposed to be friends because of their differing skin color.  It's a mysterious trail the boy's lives include and I was instantly hooked and I couldn't put it down!

Currently, I'm working on The Book Thief  by Marcus Zusak--but I have to be honest.  I started it over a week ago and I'm only on page sixty-seven.  I just can't seem to get into it.  I hate not finishing what I start, but I'm having some trouble here...Actually, my two kindle reads got pushed to the front of the line because I'm just not feeling this.  I don't know.  I will see and let you know.

On the kid front, Gifts From the Sea was a beautiful, quaint story that the kids enjoyed--my daughter more so than my son.  Blessing of the Beast was one they both enjoyed.  Both will be added to our library eventually.  I love finding new ones to enjoy together.

What about you?  What are you reading? What's on your night stand these days?

November 7, 2011

A couple weeks ago in the Twitterverse ,

Stephanie O'Dea asked if anyone would like to review her latest, 

Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life.

She had me at Totally Together. 

I love me some alliteration.

Actually, "organized life" sounded pretty enticing too because I knew I was headed back to the workplace and I needed things to stay in order.

Throw in the fact that I love what Stephanie did with her slow cooker over the course of a year. . .so I was ecstatic when she sent me out my own copy to review.

Stephanie breaks down overwhelming tasks into small, manageable pieces and explains how to tackle them.

She gives you some key, critical tips on how to clean less, so you can play more.

Her Daily 7 has seriously helped me re-do how I do things over here and I feel so accomplished at the end of the day!

This book is more than page after page of tips embedded in long paragraphs that I needed to read with a highlighter.

I mean, if it was--I honestly wouldn't have had time for it.

This book is an actual action plan.

A book that is perfect for me!

(and my mom friends who work or stay home--Great gift idea with the holidays rapidly approaching)

The Daily 7 are printed for your checking off pleasure.

There a a few weekly chores you can mark off as they are accomplished: mop, dust, vacuum, etc..

And there are some bigger projects that she reminds us to get on top of so we don't crash and burn when company is coming or before the holiday season.

There's even a weekly reminder for the WoMom (the woman behind the mom)--how to take care of you so that you can continue giving to your loved ones.

It is small enough to fit in your purse so you can take it wherever you go.

And to top it all off--it also can serve as your day to day planner!!

I hope you check it out!

It really is a great tool for the overwhelming busy-ness of day to day life.

Simple short-cuts for you and the family.

She knows what she is talking about!

All views expressed are entirely my own. I am happily using the product in my extraordinary every day life and have not been disappointed.

6.  I am thankful for the growth Bubba made on the football field this season.
7.  I am thankful for Little and the pictures he took of his little brother on the field.