Life Beyond the Pink: September 2010

Friday, September 24, 2010

Friday Find

We have had a sickly couple of days in the McWhorter home. Everyone in the family came down with the stomach bug. E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E. It was actually quite humorous how it happened to all of us within 24hrs. Conn and I just laid in bed laughing...and, moaning. Thankfully, it didn't last long, and we are all on the mend.

I came across this post by Lysa TerKeurst over at Proverbs 31 Ministries. This could not have come at a more perfect time.

Hope you all have a blessed weekend!

When mommy is mentally exhausted

I used to think it was stressful having small children. The bathing, changing, whining, crying, feeding and cleaning up little people’s messes all day would wear me to a frazzle sometimes. I naively would throw myself into bed and think, “when they are older this will be so much easier.”

Have you ever wanted to travel back in time and shake yourself? I would say slap yourself but let’s not get physically aggressive.

On second hand, yes let’s. It’s not that I would full out slap myself but some forceful taps on either side of my cheek would have been in order.

For as your children grow, a transition happens. You trade physical exhaustion for mental exhaustion. Now hear my heart, I’m not trying to pull an Eeyore today and get all down.

Y’all know I love my children with every fiber of my being. I thank God for the incredible honor of having people who call me mom. I dig investing and giving and shepherding these amazing future leaders. And I take it very seriously.

After all they will one day get the privilege of caring for me when I’m old. And, I am going to be a feisty old thing. Can anyone say payback! I laugh when I think about it. But that is a topic for another day.

Back to the shift to mental exhaustion. I am as confident as I can be that I have invested wisely in the nurturing of my children. I haven’t been perfect but then again none of us have. So, I’m not tired from wishing I would have done more. It’s something else.

As the leash of freedom extends with each passing year, I realize how their choices are their own. And I can’t build the security of my identity as a mom on the fragility of young people’s choices. I have to build the security of my identity as a mom on prayer.

So, intertwined in my situational prayers for them I have three fundamental prayers I always try to include:

1. God, make this child one of the most godly people of their generation.

2. God, let them get caught when they make wrong choices.

3. God, save them from the wrong friends and the wrong mate, so they may be saved for the right friends and the right mate.

And then I ask God for the courage to let Him write my kid’s testimonies.

Simple. Necessary. A bit scary sometimes. But so completely comforting. And one of the best remedies to help ease the mental exhaustion all of us mommies feel at times.

What do you pray over your children?

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

One Last Hoorah of the Summer

For the past 3 years, our Small Group has planned a lake weekend get-away. Not everyone in our group is always able to go. Some dates are just thrown out there and whoever can make, makes it. Some stay the whole time, and others just come for the day. We all take turns cooking and getting meals together. It works out perfectly and is very informal. Our family has never been able to attend because it is on the weekends. But, this year Conn took some vacation time so were able to go. I am so glad he did! We had an absolute blast! We left Cash with my parents and just took the girls! Let me just say, that was by far the best decision we have made in a long time! We love that boy...BUT...a lake, a boat, life jackets, and a hot tub, are just not the best combination for our 21 month old crazy man! :) Thank you, Mammy and Pappy! The girls did AWESOME with the whole lake experience. They have never tubed before, but they both took to it like they have been doing it for years.

First night....