Monthly Archives

March 2018

Family, Gifts, Lessons, Parenting

Parenting through the pecking

“Raising children is like being pecked to death by chickens.”

That quote has hung in a family member’s home for years, probably still does.  I whispered it often during the early years of raising boys, sometimes still do.  In my most exhausting moments of Motherhood, that quote has served my children well.  The assurance that other mothers also felt this exasperated on the journey was protection for my daring little chickens and their scissor sharp beaks.

The chickens have grown. I miss those dang chicks and their itty bitty pecking, it was really kinda cute looking from this angle.  Especially since we’ve learned that raising teenagers is like riding a rollercoaster with a blindfold on.  Some days it’s steady and smooth as you track up the hill on the Judge Roy Scream, only to be pushed off the top and realize the track gave way to the old Texas Giant with its wooden, rough ways – jerky enough to break your bra (a tragic true story).

There are moments of complete pride, realizing how far they have come in their maturity.  There are also moments of desperately begging God for more time to train the monsters.

Recently, while I was cooking with Mason, McCray strolled through the kitchen and dipped his finger in the sopapilla cheesecake filling. Big brother yelled, “Don’t do that! It has eggs in it and you’ll get melanoma!”   Hearing this, my face scrunched up and I just stared at him, wondering how he made it to through 12.7 years of school.

I held some hope that McCray, the freshman, would correct him. Instead he rolled his eyes and said, “It’s malaria you moron.”  Which explains his grade in Health class.  Bless you teacher. We should have sent a better Christmas gift.  Would a sopapilla cheese cake suffice?

I should remind everyone here that I’ve never claimed to be a good teacher.  Also, Sopapilla cheesecake has precisely zero eggs in the ingredients.  I informed them the sickness they were looking for was Salmonella. To which they both shrugged and said, “Same.”   It’s a wonder we fail at HQ trivia every day at 8 p.m.

Our oldest is a Senior, he graduates in exactly too soon of days.  A fact I have grieved and dreaded for the entirety of his eighteen years.  I can’t imagine not seeing him for longer than a week, or walking to his room for a goodnight hug.  I don’t know how I will pack him up and drive his belongings down to Austin, only to get in my car and DRIVE AWAY FROM HIM.

My baby.  My first born.  My boy who fills so much of our house with his unique character and audacious personality.  Tears are flowing as I type this.

And yet, the same precious, growing child that I am crying tears over can drive me absolutely crazy.  I’ve been told that God has a way of helping us weepy parents let go, by allowing them to act like know-it-all-fools in the last months they are in our home.  This is true. The same child that can make me gush over his adorable ways, makes my head explode and my heart ache while watching him learn life lessons and navigate tough choices, sometimes making the wrong ones.

God is so gracious.  How does He do this from heaven?!  As Bob Goff shares, “I think a Father’s job, when it’s done best, is to get down on both knees, lean over his children’s lives, and whisper, “Where do you want to go?”

I have returned to that visual a lot this past year.  Where do you want to go my son?  These boys have been watered with love and light, and a pile of prayers.  For the eldest, this has been the year of mom stepping back and allowing him to steer more.  I haven’t done this perfectly, as every-person-in-this-house accuses me of being a back-seat driver, but we can unpack that another time.

I’m trying.  I’m learning.  I’m clinging to the fact that while childhood is only a chapter in their life, we remain parents forever.  Once a parent, always a parent.

Which is my rebellious way of choosing joy in this season.

Choosing stubborn gladness throughout the journey of my heart being pecked to death by this thing called parenting.

 

 

Character, Courage, Faith, Forgivness, Lessons, Love, Patience, Prayer, Renewed

Known for our Fruit…

“…by their fruit you will recognize them.”

If you spent more than a little time in Sunday school as a child you probably recited the fruits of the spirit.

You might have even made a craft, or your kids have, hung on the fridge as proof they are hopefully learning a lesson or two.  Lord knows I’ve failed at teaching mine as much as I should have.

This morning I sat down for some quiet time that usually seems to elude my schedule. I’m not in a current bible study and didn’t want to read any of the three books on my nightstand, so I just sat.  I sat and watched the rain come down outside.  In our back yard sits an apple tree that is on the struggle bus.  I got it for Hubs on our first anniversary to symbolize paper, the traditional one year anniversary gift.  Only we have been so busy watering and caring for our actual relationship and family that we’ve forgotten to care for the poor little apple tree.

I sat looking at the sticks that are hoping to grow apples and the question popped into my head,

“What fruit will you produce today?”.

Yikes.

“What fruit will you be recognized by?”

Ouch.   Stop it already.

Today I would be caught with rotten bananas, like the brown ones in my freezer waiting to be used for banana bread.  Why couldn’t you have caught me on a good day?  I have a couple of those on leap years.

Spiritual fruit cannot grow with an ego in the middle of it.

Someone wiser than I came up with the acronym for Ego = Edging God Out

Which is exactly what it does, it convinces us that we are most important, we deserve this, we earned it, our feelings matter most.  Our egos come in, edge the Divine out, and get our order of priorities all jacked up.

Self?  Let me check the list….Yes!  You go up here at the top, naturally.  Like the star on the Christmas tree.  Look at you shine sister.

Others?  What have you done for me lately?   Hmmmm… Go ahead and head down, third from the bottom rung.

Children?  Y’all are still here?  Good grief, haven’t we raised you already?  Get close to the top, I’ll put you on my shoulders and let you hold my star.

God?  Stick close in case I have a prayer will ya?  Thanks so much.  Also, could you stand where I bask in your glow?  It’s all about the lighting you know.  Did you hear me quote your bible verse from memory earlier?  How about that huh?

Bless.

Here’s the thing about our Ego.  It edges God out, but it also edges GROWTH out.  A fruit cannot grow with an ego in the middle of it.  Want to grow some fruit?  Dump the ego.

Don’t know where to start?  Throw out the “should haves” when it pertains to others, no one owes you anything.  A fact I continue to learn daily.  We were not promised a life without bad times.  We weren’t promised a Leave it to Beaver family, or a support system that looks like the traditional one in our mind.  No one comes to earth and escapes alive, or lives a life without sorrow.  Find your joy.  Even the worst of days has some joy tucked in the seams, even if it’s just a perfectly timed cup of caffeine.  Recognize and identify what makes your heart lighter.

Want to know some of what we ARE promised?

One who will fight for you…. Exodus 14:14.  Renewed strength …Isaiah 40.  A companion in fearful moments…Isaiah 41.  Unfailing love….Isaiah 54. Freedom….Isaiah 58. Wisdom.  Forgiveness.  Eternal life. Comfort. Refuge. Deliverance. Peace that transcends all understanding…and so much more.

Peace comes from remembering that only love is real.  Look past the surface and see the underlying truth…everyone is a child of God and filled with love.  It may be hidden behind our egos, but it was put there.  Love is there.  Look for the light within you and others.  Guess what water and light do?  They grow things…like fruit!

If you feel like our apple tree, take hope that God is in the business of growing.  He delights in gardening, ask for help in developing your orchard.  May we be recognized by our sweet fruit.

 

Clothing, Fashion, Favorite Things, Textured Threads

My Echo Look…finally a Clueless Closet

I have often wondered why it’s 2018 and I still don’t have a smart closet like the one on the movie Clueless. Remember Cher would get on a computer screen and create her outfit of the day?  Be still my organized heart. So, when I heard about Amazon’s new Echo Look, I was thrilled to try it!

The Amazon Echo Look is a hands-free, voice-controlled camera and Style Assistant, it takes full length photos or videos of your look.  The quality of photos is amazing, I’ve been super impressed!   It has built in LED lighting and a depth-sensing camera that blurs out the background to make your outfit pop.  (For the moments it is used as a “selfie stick” for group photos, you can simply edit the photo in the app to take the blur feature away!)

Simply download the app, set up the device and tell Alexia to take a photo or video, it then uploads directly to your phone!  Truthfully, my favorite feature on the app is the ability to categorize my favorite looks for future reference on the brain-fog days when I can’t figure out what to wear.  It also has a simple feature of creating collections within your wardrobe.

The Style Check feature is so cool!  For the days that my fashion-forward gals are slow in answering my desperate text of, “Help! Which one?!”.  All you do is upload two options in the app, and it will send you a second opinion from the Amazon Fashion Specialist almost instantly!  Currently you can only get the Echo Look with an invitation, request one here!  The Look also performs like a normal Echo Dot – playing music, etc.


Dressed for a Safari Themed Party. 🙂 These shoes are some new favorites from Nordstroms, they come in several different colors, if you wanna be twinkies and besties find your size here! 

*For future reference, I’ll be sharing most Textured Threads post on our facebook page since this blog is mainly for writing.  Click here to like and follow our Textured Soul facebook page for updates on favorite products and deals!