Downward to upward, inward to outward

Hello loves, it's good to be writing to you again.  I first have to confess something to you.  I've been an inconsiderate friend to many of you. And I'm sorry.  We've got big news in our family and after I told a couple of folks, I quit telling people and several of you have found out either through the tangled grapevine or by me mentioning something in a passing conversation.  And that's not fair.  So...

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You can probably tell by now that I am not a writer.  I've only ever taken those easy writing classes in high school.  Okay so I did take one poetry class in college and I barely passed.  Apparently all poetry is not supposed to rhyme.  Now you know. I come here and write when something I read or hear or experience sticks with me.  Something I think will benefit another person, something God puts on my heart...

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Calling all mamas

Or mommys or moms or mothers. If you've wondered if you'll ever be able to sleep through the night again, I'm calling you. If you've ever been in public wearing something that was crusty, stained, sticky or all of the above, I'm calling you. If you've stood in a doorway for ten minutes waiting on your tiny person to find that toy so you can be on time to the play date you really didn't have time for anyway, I'm calling you. If you've...

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Dear God,

This morning I need you, like Toddling A needs Mickey Mouse, but in a more therapeutic fashion. I'm searching.   And if you're asking "what are you searching for?" then join the club. I don't know. In the past two years my relationship with You has strengthened like a body builder on 'roids.  It's awesome.  I have a LONG way to go I know, but I'm miles past where I used to be. I don't really have an accurate count for You, but I've read handfuls of life giving, spirit growing books along with reading chronologically...

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One crafty, shady dude

A question was recently brought up in a small group I attend, and it's had me reeling and searching for answers ever since.   A fellow groupie asked "Can Satan hear our thoughts?" Instinctively my answer was a resounding OF COURSE!  We've all battled those negative, depressing, want to sleep til tomorrow thoughts.  That has to be Satan, right? But then, the more I broke it down and the more I talked through it, the more I became to understand that he actually cannot. Then how the h-e-double hockey...

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It's all in the Handler

As we all know, the Olympics started this week.  And I must admit something to you.  I'm not that into them.  I can hear you gasping.  Shush it.  I'm trying to type.  Look, I get it.  Athletes train for their entire lives to win a circle of gold tied to a ribbon.  I'm sure it's exhilarating, really I'm not trying to be sarcastic.  But, I just don't get anything from watching them. So I turned...

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I lost my child, my mind and my cookies (almost)

In that exact order too. It was terrible. Awful.  We had just walked up the long pier from a lovely few hours spent at the beach when the terrible awful (phrase stolen from "The Help") happened.  There was a crowd of people standing around at the top of the pier waiting to use the showers/hoses. It wasn't like Concord Mills on Saturday morning crowded, but lets just say there were a ton of people hovering around trying to get sand out of who knows where. Seriously, why hasn't anyone invented a bikini bottom that...

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Not really feeling the magic, Mike

I like facebook.  I can't deny it.  I like seeing pictures of my friend's babies, not so much pictures of their dinner (please stop), but I like keeping up with my friends. Lately, though, I've been disappointed.   Not in facebook itself.  But disappointed in the things I'm seeing pop up in my news feed.  I bet you, today, if I took a poll of the most popular thing being displayed on my home page,...

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Rejoice in your reality

photo courtesy of rippedusa.com Maybe it's just me. But there are days, truth be told, most all days, when I look in the mirror and see nothing but flab and gray hair (yes, me, before the age of 30, shocking I'm aware) and how my clothes fit in all the wrong ways.  I go through the list of things I WILL change.  I will eat less and workout more and scrape together the pennies it takes to consistently dye my hair.  Usually...

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Breath of Fresh Air

Ride a bike 34 miles. Seems daunting. Now add 3 flat tires and a busted tread. Suddenly it seems like a "no good flat out impossible was supposed to be fun for our 5 year anniversary now it isn't why the heck did we do this?!?!?" spectacle. But in the moments of no flat tires and beautiful scenery and husband R leaving me in his dust, my mind wandered away, thinking about how I could turn this into a blog post. Marriage is like...

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It's between you and God.

       People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.               If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.             If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.            If...

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Today, I just don't want to.

Ever had those days or weeks where things are just fuzzy, flat out pea soup fog?  One thing runs into another and your not sure how you even peeled open your eyelids this morning, which feel like 9 days ago?  Things are so off today I even took a pregnancy test, yes, even though I'm pretty sure that's impossible, but having ruled everything else out, it's the last standing explanation I could drum up to explain my odd sense of well of I don't know what.  And no, that's not the reason.  At least there's one...

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To preschool or not to preschool

Breakfast time, toddling A happily sitting in her high chair eating her yogurt, mom has to use the bathroom, mom walks into the bathroom (15 ft away) shuts the door.  Toddling A goes from happy to hysterical in less time than it takes for mom to unbutton her pants.  MOMMY!!!  MOMMY!!!  MOMMY!!!!  Alligator tears. If you have or have ever had a child who suffers from separation anxiety (my self diagnosis), you've experienced that scene and others like it, many many times. Where have I gone wrong? ...

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Money, money money

Money. It's such a powerful thing. Money makes us happy.  Money makes us mad.  Money makes life easier.  Money makes life harder. Money secures us. Money scares us. As a nanny, I'm often given money to do activities with the kids.  I would never pocket that money or use it towards my own personal gain.  No, it's not my money, I've been instructed to use it in a certain way.  In the same way, the money in your bank account right now, it's not yours.  The money you have invested, it's...

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I'm running to your arms

photo courtesy of amazon.com The author of this book (Sandra Boynton) may not be sure what it is, but I know what it is. It's me. Today. After a week with Rob out of town and a poop ton of volunteering and a 30 hr child filled work week (yes, that's a lot for a supposed stay at home mom) Frazzled. Then, unexpectedly, without notice, I de-frazzled. Phillipians 4:7 says "Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers,...

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Practice what He preaches

"Share your toys, we keep our hands to ourselves, we do not stick things in our diaper, we love our friends, do that one more time and you'll be sorry." This is my daily mantra.  Really, I'm like a recorder on repeat.  Well, maybe not the sticking things in your diaper comment, that, thankfully only happens every now and again.   Those words though, come with the territory of being a mother and a nanny.  Or even just a parent for that matter.  We tell our kids to share, we tell them to be nice...

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50,000 Feet

I run but I've never considered myself a runner, until two weekends ago, and even then, not the kind of runner you would think. Every organized race I've run tells you not to run with your ipod, they say for safety reasons.  Especially in a race as big as the Cooper River Bridge run, with thousands of people pushing around, over and through you as they run.   But alas, all but those who actually win (ahem, the kenyans, ahem)...

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