Utlizing Your God Given Talents...

Have you ever wondered whether what you are doing in life is what you are supposed to be doing in life?  That is a loaded question, I know.  There is no doubt in my mind that as far as motherhood goes, I may not be doing everything right, but I am doing it with all my heart.  I KNOW that it is what God wants me to do...to be the best mother I can be.  But what about the other parts of me?...The other parts that have been provided with other gifts that should be used, in my mind, to glorify Him. 

Coming from the perspective of a Human Resources professional, I can give countless examples of people who truly are fulfilling their God-given talents, and I can give you countless examples of others who seem to be just going through the motions.    In Stephen Covey's book, The 8th Habit, his sequel to The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, he basically says that the 8th Habit is to find your own voice and help others to find theirs.  (Although he takes a whole book to say this, whereas he fit the 7 other habits into one nice package.)  So this makes me wonder, what is MY voice?  Have I found it?  Am I floundering with it, projecting a little bit of sound, or singing at the top of my lungs?  Can others hear it?  Is the message I am sending meanigful to me?  Is it meaningful to my audience?  Is it glorifying Him?

One of my favorite sayings is "Do what you love.  Love what you do."  This goes right along with finding your voice.  So I ask further questions...

• What unique talents has God given you?
• Are you utilizing them?
• Are you making time to nurture the parts of you, outside of motherhood, that make your voice unique?

Just pondering....

May you be filled with His love and share that with others in your own, unique, God-given way!

Blessings,
Beth

Happy Valentine's Day!

So today is Valentine's Day and I am wondering what the day has in store for my 3 girls.  I can't help but wonder what future Valentine's days have in store for them, too.  As the parents of 3 daughters I was telling my husband yesterday that it is important for him to model the behaviors that I hope they will come to expect in the guys that will be interested in them in the future.  I was trying to say that although he may feel Valentine's Day is a commercial holiday, fabricated for the benefit of businesses everywhere (which may be true), it is still important for guys to show their love for girls on that day.  (and every other day, but on that day, too.)  This was not a ploy for my own Valentine's gift....really.

My favorite verses, and probably the one that is read at 90% of weddings, is from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7.  Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  Love does not demand its own way.  Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.  It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 

The above make me think.  How much am I modeling this for my girls and my husband?  How much do he and I model this together for them?  What expectations are we creating in the girls, and are they positive or negative?

I do know this...I will try my best to make Valentine's Day special in our home.  I don't mean anything extravagant.  We started with heart paper plates and napkins this morning, with muffins (box mix, not from scratch) shaped like hearts, too.  Tonight we'll end around the formal dining table, eating a nice meal by candlelight.  Each family member will find a special Valentine message under his/her plates.  It isn't much, but honestly, it doesn't take much to say "I love you", does it?

How are you spending your Valentine's Day and what are you doing to model His love in your homes, today and every day?

Your sanctuary...

Last April I embarked on what one might consider a very small endeavor.  I redid our master bedroom.  Unbeknownst to my husband, I hired a handy man to rip out an old, built-in vanity, patch the walls and paint them.  I bought a couple of pieces of furniture and a new comforter, and rearranged the room a little.  This was done with the help of a small army of dear friends over the course of 4 days, while my husband was out of town.

I tell you this, not to say that I accomplished some giant feat, but to encourage you to think about your sanctuary.  We, my husband and I, did not have a sanctuary.  I not so affectionately called our bedroom the "dumping ground".  Having a home with little storage space, and not being the most organized people in the world, we had the tendency to use our bedroom as a storage house for paperwork, good-will items, old electronics, etc.  You get the picture, I think.  It was not a pretty, inviting, warm, or comfortable one.

I looked in the Bible for instruction on how to make a house a home; however, I really didn't find much.  Perhaps this is because I am no Biblical scholar and really didn't know where to search other than looking for verses in the back of the book that led me to house or home.  Only two verses did I find to be somewhat applicable.  The 1st is from Proverbs 14:1.  It reads...A wise woman builds her house; a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.  The second is from proverbs 24:3.  It reads...A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense.  It is a blessing that I have wise friends, friends much wiser than I in these matters, with whom I was able to consult about my miniature remodel.  Through their knowledge, advice, physical labor and wisdom, I was able put a bit more strength in the foundation of my home.  It may seem like a small thing, but I truly believe that it is important to have a sanctuary. 

In talking with a friend about this last night, she said she instituted a rule at her home that no children's toys are allowed in her room.  (Her boys are 3 and 6.)  What a smart and simple rule.  It helps to keep her room in order and helps her children respect that Mommy has a space to call her own. 

Another tip that a friend shared with me that I took to heart is to make sure that your children do have a place to BE in your room.  Whether you allow them to sprawl out on the bed, sit on a bench or a chaise lounge, or have a rocking chair in the corner with a reading light nearby like I do, I think it makes sense to have a simple space where the kids feel welcome.

Take a look around your space...the one you and your husband share together, or that you call all your own if you are a single mom...and be honest with yourself. Do you like what you see? Do you wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and have a sense of peace with your room? If so, that is wonderful! It is a magnificent feeling, and I would love to hear any suggestions you have for creating and maintaining such a place.  If not, what small or big changes can be made to make your room a place you want to be?

As always...all suggestions are welcome!

Blessings,
Beth

Learning from the innocence of children

The other night my youngest two (ages 7 & 8) and I made a quick trip to Walmart.  Just outside the front doors, seated facing towards the store, was a woman.  She was leaning against a post and in her arms was a child wrapped in blankets.  The little girl looked to be a bit younger than my two.  As I hurried past them, my girls stopped to read the sign she was holding.  Just as the girls came into the store with me another woman, exiting Walmart, handed the woman and her child a gallon of milk.  Before we began to shop the girls wanted to know who the woman and child were, what they were doing out there on a cold night, why the other lady gave her milk, etc.  What an opportunity this was for a couple of life lessons.  (Ironically, our pastor had talked about taking care of the least and the lost just the week before this.)  The thing is, the lesson didn't need to be learned by my girls, it needed to be learned by me.

As I was trying to get my words together to answer their questions.  My middle one said, "Momma, she has 5 children."  As I was hurrying along, my girls were reading the sign the woman held.  As I was hurrying along, they were trying to understand this woman and her situation.  As I was hurrying along, my children were empathizing with the woman and her child.  My thoughts were nowhere as noble, genuine or kind.

Seeing the concern from them, we talked a little about what she might need most and determined we could at least purchase a loaf of bread for her and her child.  It was such a small item, yet as my middle one handed it to the woman, upon exiting the store, the woman offered her God's blessings.  The sincere thankfulness and humbled look in her eyes is something I hope I will not soon forget.

That night as we said prayers before bedtime, my youngest prayed for the woman and child.  My oldest heard the story that evening as well, and she, too, went to sleep with a feeling of unease for this poor family.

Reflecting now, I wonder what if that woman had been me?  How would I have felt with people, like myself, rushing past in an attempt not to see?  How would I have felt being in the woman's situation, asking for help, with few, if any, bothering to listen, much less provide assistance?

It leads me to question further.  What can I learn from my children in this?  Somehow, they understand what Jesus said when he told us to take care of the lost and the least.  Yet, I, as the adult and their mom, somehow didn't have the sense of this.

As a result, we'll be looking for opportunities as a family to care for others this year.  Not just family and friends, but also strangers...

In what ways are you already doing your part to give to the least and the lost?  In what ways can you do more?  I'd love to hear your suggestions....

In Him,
Beth