Simplicity

Seek simplicity--and distrust it.

~Alfred North Whitehead

Home Versus "Busy"

Today was a day that I felt like a bird that had been caged too long. Meeting everyone's needs, especially when sick, is very draining. The walls, at times, felt like they were going to close in on me. I feel this way from time to time. I do not panic. I know that it is a natural reaction from serving day in and day out. Being needed is such a powerful feeling.

As monotonous as some days may seem, I would not rather they be filled with scheduled this or that. I think it is sad how overscheduled or families are these days. I really have a passion for protecting our time here at home.

We do get out. There are weekly practices or get togethers with other families. Shopping with four children is always a real experience, but one I would not trade. I am careful not to "overdo". Maybe some may say that I am overprotective or somewhat of a hermit. There are worse things I suppose.

I believe that being at home with our children is important. I am blessed in that I get to do it full time. There are so many advantages to simply chosing to stay home more than being "busy" with too many outside activities and engagements.

* Being home encourages creativity.

* Being home creates security.

* Being home allows for less stress.

* Being home promotes reading.

* Being home fosters relationships.

Jesus Up Front

We decorated our Christmas tree a couple of weeks ago. It was a family event. We really enjoy this every year. Scott unwraps all the decorations. The kids and I set out a few decorations and hang our ornaments on the tree. Madelyn picked up our cross ornament and headed to our tree by the window. I was close by and was helping all the kids. I saw Maddie walk towards the window side of our tree. Quietly she said to herself, "this is like for Jesus and this needs to be in the front." She then walked to the front of the tree and put it in the very center.

It was refreshing to listen to Madelyn quietly deliver such an appropriate perspective of what this season is all about. Decorating is fun. Baking is yummy. Buying gifts for others is such a sweet experience. Putting all that we know about Jesus and his life at the front of our minds and hearts is truly what glorifies our King and celebrates this holiday best.

Learning from Al Gore

This past weekend, Scott and I watched An Inconvenient Truth with Al Gore. Down below, I have put together several of the facts he presented in his film. I found it all alarming. I highly recommend the film. It is not just for treehuggers like Scott and me.

What is global warming?

Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising.

The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence. The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable.

We’re already seeing changes. Glaciers are melting, plants and animals are being forced from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing.

* The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.
* Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.
* The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.
* At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.

If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.

* Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.
* Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.
* Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.
* Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.
* The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.
* More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.

There is no doubt we can solve this problem. In fact, we have a moral obligation to do so. Small changes to your daily routine can add up to big differences in helping to stop global warming. The time to come together to solve this problem is now--TAKE ACTION!

check out http://www.climatecrisis.org

Questions to Guide Actions

Once in a while we should ask ourselves several questions in order to guide our actions. We should ask questions like: Do I know the poor? Do I know, in the first place, the poor in my family, those who are closest to me - people who are poor, but not because they lack bread?

There are other types of poverty just as painful because they are more intrinsic.

Perhaps what my husband or wife lacks, what my children lack, what my parents lack, is not clothes or food. Perhaps they lack love, because I do not give it to them!

~Mother Teresa, Everything Starts from Prayer

Another milestone

Brady is starting to sit up! He is such a joy. It is so much fun watching him grow and change daily. I am so thankful I am able to stay home. Sure, some days are very hard and extremely taxing. Yet, I would not rather be pursuing anything else. Julian, Madelyn, Kalen and Brayden are shaping me daily into who God wants me to be. Hooray for Brady! Another milestone achieved!

Asheville Celebration

Last friday our family took a little trip to one of our favorite places, Asheville. We met Scott's mom, dad and sister there. We all were going to spend the day together celebrating Jan's (Scott's mom's) birthday. Great fun was had by all and I believe Jan was truly honored. She is the heart of our family, a rare gem. We ate at our favorite resturant, the Laughing Seed. We shopped until we literally dropped. A nice day trip for our family and lots of love for "Nana".

Christian

As a Christian, I am simply trying to orient myself around living a particular kind of way, the kind of way that Jesus taught is possible. And I think that the way of Jesus is the best possible way to live.
~Rob Bell

All Smiles

Kalen, Julian, Brayden, and Madelyn

Compassion

This fall, the kids and I took on a little homeschooling science project of our own. We sent off a certificate to get five live caterpillars. With care, these caterpillars would make their little chrysalides and turn into Painted Lady Butterflies. It was a really neat experience. We even kept the butterflies for a few days and fed them in their little habitat. We decided to let them all free one beautiful and oddly warm day here in Boone.

My sweet little nature boy, Kalen, is pictured here with one of our glorious butterflies. Kalen loves creatures. We were amazed as we watched this butterfly walk all over Kalen. He was so still and quiet. A tear came to my eye, as I watched this little fellow pull up a handful of grass and put it on his shoulder for the butterfly. I remember it very well, he said, "Mommy, this for the butterfly." He truly thought that his small butterfly would benefit somehow from a bunch of blades of grass. Maybe he thought it would want to sit on it or even eat from it. Whatever his thought was, he was showing compassion.

As I think about Jesus and my desire to be like him, I believe he was very compassionate. I believe he was a doer and met the needs of those around him. My desire for my children is to know that kind of compassion and live it.

New Priorities

Today, I read a refreshing prayer in my book, Prayers for New Mothers by Angela Thomas Guffey. I would like to share it, as it is my prayer as well.

Oh, Lord,

Boy, have things changed around here. I mean really changed. I vaguely remember the days I couldn't run to the store before my hair and make-up were perfectly done. I would put on clean clothes because of a dot of ketchup. My life was color-coordinated and wrinkle-free, seamless to the beholder, and incredibly hard to maintain.

I'm embarassed to think about all the time I wasted on things that don't really matter. I worked hard at holding onto a standard of ridiculous priorities. I sacrificed authenticity for appearances. I missed out on some great living while I was pretending. Thankfully, new babies bring new priorities. Gone are those self-possessed days (forcefully stripped from me is more like it). But I am glad to lose that layer of plastic.

Thank you for this new baby and the real life she brings to our home. Teach our family how to live purely in these days. Interruptible. Honest. Unpretentious. Simple. Real. Very real. Make sure that I maintain the most important things, the things that matter for eternity, at the top of my "to do" list. Help me stop chasing after the trivial. Instead, may I capture the timeless.

Lord, let us pass these new priorities down to our children. May they live free from the bondage of meaningless pursuits. May they strive for significance and yearn for the spiritually substantial. Grant us enough wisdom to recognize what is important. Thank you for the baby that forces us to let go of the old and run after new (and better) priorities. In Jesus' name, Amen.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." ~ Matthew 6:33

Brayden

Brayden is our fourth child. He broke the mold with brown hair and brown eyes. Our May baby is an amazing addition to our family. He is easy to please. Brayden, also called Brady, has a calm spirit about him. Just recently, he learned how to roll over. His smiles can light up a room.

Kalen

Kalen Morrison is full of life! He keeps laughter alive within our home. He enjoys playing basketball, soccer, and football. He loves to dance. Kalen also enjoys books. He has a sweet spirit.

Going Green for the Holidays

Why does holiday gift shopping have to be such a stress-inducing chore? Short answer: it doesn’t. By rethinking how and what you buy this holiday season, you can make gift-giving more pleasant, more meaningful and more environmentally responsible.

Build your gift idea list through online browsing. Instead of making multiple trips to the mall, start by perusing thousands of ideas for green, organic and fair-trade gifts through the listings at Co-op America’s National Green Pages.

Buy locally. Once you’ve decided on your gift ideas, keep an eye open for possibilities whenever you’re out and about. Every gift you buy when you’re already out shopping for groceries, hardware or dog food translates into one less separate excursion to the mall.

Rather than giving Dad yet another tie he won’t wear or Casey another toy car that will eventually settle to the bottom of his toy bin, give gifts people will really use. Think unique, healthful and organic foods; organic and chemical-free soaps; shade-grown coffees; flowering or fruiting plants; drawing or writing sets with recycled paper and non-toxic ink pens; or memberships to an area zoo, museum or other child-friendly place.

Choose gifts that help reduce energy consumption or protect the environment. These can range from solar-powered cellphone and battery chargers, sun-driven garden fountains and bat boxes (for attracting nature’s most effective mosquito-zapper) to bicycles, organic-cotton sheets and pillowcases, and natural beeswax candle sets.

Look for gifts that also help others build healthier and more sustainable lives. Organizations like Global Exchange, A Greater Gift and Ten Thousand Villages offer fair-trade products grown or made by farmers and artisans in developing countries from Bangladesh to Zimbabwe. You can find other fair-trade retailers, both online and off, at TransFair USA and the Fair Trade Federation.

Give a gift that keeps on giving. Shopping for someone who has everything? Why not give to someone less fortunate on his or her behalf? Heifer International, for example, lets you buy anything from a flock of chicks to a cow that will be given to a family for an ongoing food source. Or shop through FundraiserRewards, which connects you with retailers online and off that donate a portion of your purchase price to the organization of your choice.

Revolution of the Heart

The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart. ~Dorothy Day

Too Big to Hold

I pulled my oldest son aside today and asked if we could spend some time together alone. This was spurred on by some misbehavior earlier on during the day. We sat and talked for awhile. During our chat, I asked him if he would help me come up with a list of ways I could love him better. As I am raising four children all under the age of six, it is sometimes hard to figure out how to meet all their needs. He had a puzzled face as he said, "I don't know about that, Mom." I asked him if he wanted me to give him some examples and he said, "Sure." I suggested playing more with him, reading to him more, and then I suggested holding him. He said, "Those sound really good, but Mom, I thought I was too big for you to hold." Tears filled my eyes as I pulled him to me. As I held him tightly, I assured him that he was not too big for me to hold (ever). A mother's touch is powerful. Being held is a great feeling of comfort, love and assurance.

Words of Wisdom

Last night I was able to attend a homeschooling meeting. Our group heard from two mothers. One mother was a mother of four girls and one a mother of four boys. I sat across from each of them as they poured out their hearts, experiences, mistakes, and suggestions. One mother brought with her a list of words of wisdom that her boys had compiled. I was touched as I read the following words of these young men.

* Don't expect your kids to have a good attitude if you don't have one.

* Stop asking why your kids misbehave . . . just deal with the problem with consequences.

* Never beg your kids to do something you really want them to do, because begging makes it an option.

* Boys don't jump to please/obey someone they don't respect. Great leaders/parents earn the respect of the people under them, not just order them around.

* Mom's can't raise boys to become men, only a man can do that

* Fuel your kid's interest, but don't get pushy

* Correct with a pleasant attitude

* Smile

* Set goals and accomplish them, not just set goals

* Stick to a plan, any plan will do

* Laugh more

Madelyn

Our Madelyn is such a joy. She enjoys having three brothers. Ballet is a passion. She is kind, thoughtful and creative.

Julian

Our oldest son Julian is bright, loving, and energetic. He loves to read, spend time with his family, and play soccer. Julian is very protective and creative.

Joining the World

I have been inspired by some of my dearest friends to join in with the world. As a stay-at-home mother of four, sharing thoughts and adventures will be a pleasure. Thanks to Jen, Scott, and Torie for the inspiration.