A Mommy

Today was a challenging day. If you're a mom you know exactly what I'm talking about. When I was expecting Zechariah(our first), I had such grand expectations of motherhood and NOBODY could tell me any different. I would have the sweetest, most obedient, smartest, most well trained child that ever lived. In fact it would be reading, pooping on the potty, dressing itself, and singing songs from the sound of music by the age of one. My husband was even convinced that our child would be so amazingly amazing that it wouldn't even cry, it would be a child full of peace. Isn't our concept of parenthood so "off" before we actually have a child of our own? It doesn't matter how many children you've been around, until you have one of your own you have NO idea. You have no concept of what an emotionally, mentally, and physically challenging job it is. Take the cue from pregnancy!! Nothing about children is easy and quite personally I think that God set it up that way. Yes, I said, I think that God set it up that way. You see, God wants us to depend on Him but because we are so stubborn and so independent(or self-dependent), for us to take the cue and realize we can't do it on our own He puts us in challenging situations. He stands at the door of every difficult situation and knocks. "My grace is sufficient for you," He says "Come to me and I will give you rest for your weary soul." We get so caught up in being a good mommy or being a good wife but we forget that we can't do it on our own. Our trying to be a good anything is a failure from the get go. to be continued...........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuCWfRoUmMQ&feature=player_embedded

The next to me place by Jason and Samuel Upton

Hey Jesus, are you still on the cross
or are you feeling better?
Hey Jesus, will you come play with me?
I'm ready and willing.

Won't you come down, down, down, down to the ground?
To the next to me place
with a smile on my face
and a song in my ear

Around
and around
and around
and around
and around we go

Hey Jesus, when I wave at you
do you wave back too?
Hey Jesus, when I'm feeling sad
do you feel sad too?

Hey Jesus, if we throw these books
do you think they will fly?
Hey Jesus, can I touch the moon?
Throw me into the sky

Into the sea
Into the sea
Around and around
Around and around
Around we go...

welcome to the next to me place

Ahem, so let me introduce myself.....wow where to begin. You see, I am a lover, and being a lover is a very complex thing. First and foremost I am a lover of life. My life is full of love,coffee, color crayons, kisses, and dirty diapers. I know, you weren't expecting that were you, that whole dirty diaper thing? But it's true. Among the beautiful things in all of our lives there are those things that maybe aren't quite as beautiful. But I am beginning to understand that it's the poopy diapers in life that beautify us, that teach us either to embrace life or to become bitter. So I'd like this blog to embrace life both the sunshiny days and the poopy diapers :) I decided to start it because I am continuously posting the funny things that my kids do on my facebook statuses and there is NEVER enough room. I want to create something for them that they will be able to look back at and enjoy, and also a place for me to release my feelings and thoughts. So why is it called the next to me place? I got the inspiration from a song of Jason Upton's, that his three-year-old son wrote. It's a child's description of the place that Jesus occupies in our lives. Do you remember when you were a kid, how you always saved the spot next to you in the cafeteria for your best friend? Only one special person could occupy that spot, could know your thoughts and dreams and deepest secrets. That's the next to me place. But wait, wasn't Jesus the King of Kings?? Of course it doesn't make sense that the greatest of Kings associates with the lowliest of subjects but that's the beauty of who He is. He loves to be in our next to me place, and He saved a spot for you so get your tray and sit down.