World’s Advice on Children
To whom it may concern in the world,
I’ll never forget the excitement as Tim and I shared the news that we were expecting our first baby. We tried to take heed to all the advice and words of wisdom. “Oh you just wait, your life will soon be over. No more lazy afternoons, and say good-bye to full nights of sleep forever.”
Well…thank goodness you were wrong. This little girl God has given us lays her head on our chest and put us to sleep instantly. She is the beginning of our life, and the sweetest addition we could have ever imagined.
Soon, advice and words of wisdom began to tell us, “Oh you just wait till she’s a toddler! She will be into everything. You’ll never get a break and trust me, you will not be wanting children anytime soon when they hit that stage.”
Well…thank goodness you were wrong. This rambunctious baby can throw a ball, and blow kisses that melt your heart. When I need a break from the world she is our entertainment. She is such a joy, in fact we are welcoming another one of these little life changers.
Advice and words of wisdom then began to tell us, “First of all your crazy, and secondly you just wait till she gets to that sassy elementary age. Then your throwing another in the mix! They will tag team against you and make you crazy.”
Well…thank goodness you were wrong. This intelligent little girl can carry on conversations with us and knows just what to say to make you feel better. Her prayers are heard and her songs carry through the house. She encourages that sweet little sister of hers and states they are best friends. It is amazing to watch them play and interact. Life is so full of joy that we keep craving more. They have a sweet baby brother coming soon.
Then the advice and wisdom told us. You can’t possibly afford all of them! Your marriage won’t be able to handle the stress! What about vacations, cars, or gasp…college! Besides it’s not safe on your body to have your children so close together.”
Well… thank goodness you were wrong. We live in more prosperity and life’s richness than we could have ever dreamed of. Our marriage is firm, grounded, and not shaken by circumstances. These children of ours are the glue. My body is doing just what it was designed to do and for that I am so thankful.
So my advice and words of wisdom would be to root for success in everyone that is seeking God. Your loosing your credibility at every blessing we encounter. I encourage you to not let this world talk you out of your passions or God’s calling, and may you always get the words of wisdom worth listening to.
Our House Update
I guess I will start from the very beginning and try to give people a little bit of background information to lead us to where we are right now in our lives…here goes.
About 4 months ago my husband and I stumbled across a piece of property with lots of acreage, a roomy farmhouse, an amazing price, and a lot of work. It seemed like the kind of place we had always said we wanted. Sure, there were a few things about the property that would have been more ideal. However, we saw what we thought was the deal of a lifetime and tried to jump on it.
Meanwhile the home we have currently been in for around four years is in a very desired area of Mint Hill. We have a white porch that goes along the front of our home that is perfect for evening porch swings, or morning cups of coffee. We have a nice sized yard with plenty of trees for shade for the children and places to climb. We have the perfect amount of space to where we aren’t crammed but are the perfect kind of cozy. We are within a 30 minute drive from most of our family and our church. So what kind of crazy people would want to leave a place they loved so much? We thought we were.
From the beginning we have struggled with putting our house on the market. We prayed continually, and had a gazillion late night talks. After much consideration we decided to take the plunge and list our house on MLS. Tim’s mom Donna had just gotten her real estate license so it seemed as though the stars were aligning. To make things, “seem,” even more perfect the house we were placing our offer on was on the brink of foreclosure. We were happy to have the opportunity to keep a woman from loosing her childhood home. We were so excited to be taking such a big step until we pulled out of our driveway for our first showing. Every part of us wanted to grab those people by their shirts and not allow them to go in our home. We took the kids down the road to Wendy’s to grab a Frosty while they walked amongst our memories. The conversation we had that night was not fun. We were scared to death we were making the wrong decision and were driving ourselves crazy! Looking back I wish then we had listened to those uneasy feelings we were getting. We shrugged them off, knowing that it would be a hard process, and that we were just being too emotional.
To say things got harder from there would be an understatement. We prayed, read God’s word, and seeked council from anyone who would offer words of wisdom. In one way we were so excited to go on this new adventure we felt God was leading us, but the uneasiness never went away, and the peace never came. ( Well… I thought the peace came, but compared to what I feel now there is no comparison)
We faced one obstacle after another with the buyers of our home. It never ran smoothly from the time the offer came in. The first big upset came when just a few days prior to the closing they decided they needed to push the closing back over two weeks. At this point the majority of our home was in a POD unit in our driveway. At that point our stress levels hit an all time high. I really don’t mean to sound like we were getting upset over such petty stuff but when you’re in the middle of it, it consumes you. We had no choice but to hang in there until the contract was completely up, which was this past Wednesday on the 28th. We made things very clear that if the loan did not close on the 28th then we were through. They continued to reassure us the 28th was going to work multiple times. We were still a little nervous to get our last-minute belongings packed. Good thing we didn’t, because two days before closing they wanted yet another extension.
At this point we had a HUGE decision to make. We were no longer obligated to them because the contract had run out. But did we really want to walk away only to unpack our stuff into a place we had just taken them out of? As it urns out, yes we do! Now let me clarify, the decision was no easy one. Once again, after much prayer we together decided to stay in the home we fell in love with 4 years ago.
Once the decision was made the peace and relief that flowed into our hearts is indescribable. This is what we had both been searching for the entire time and thought we had until we felt this. If I can just be 100% real and honest right now. I have no idea why it took us so long to see the truth or why God had us walk through these obstacles. I do know that I am thankful for them and the bond this has strengthened in our marriage and our walk with God. Is it going to be easy to unpack that POD? Nope. But my confidence, hope, and trust in the Lord have all been restored and I’m ready to pick up the pieces of this messy torn apart house. One of the many things I have learned through this is that there is no way I can predict how God is going to work. I feel very convicted of trying to fit God in a box or put Him into my plans. He is sooo much bigger than that. Even though there may be nothing wrong with my plan, when I ask for His will to be done , it will. Simple as that. We stand humbled and grateful for all the prayers and well wishes we have gotten from everyone. As far as our dream house…Iv’e got it, and it’s the people who fill it up that make it the dream.
Simple, Sensational, Frugal Recipe
Alright, the ingredients together for this recipe may sound strange, but believe me that this combination of flavors are fantastic together. My husband actually discovered this recipe at the fire station from one of the other guys who was, Throwing stuff together.” We like to call it Black Bean Pileup.
Ingredients:
Breakfast sausage
Cabbage
Black beans
Cheese, Sour cream, and Salsa
– Start by browning your sausage in a separate pan, while your cabbage is boiling in another pot. You can use dried black beans you’ve had simmering all day or simply open up a can and rewarm.
– Once all necessary ingredients are cooked simply pile um up!
We like to do cabbage, sausage, beans, shredded cheese, then a dollop of sour cream.
Hope y’all enjoy! It’s DELICIOUS!
Today
Today is the day I would have kissed you goodbye as tears streamed down my face. Today is the day you would have climbed onto the bus. It is the day they would have taken you away in order for you to learn what is needed for the rest of your life. Today is the day you would have spent six hours away from Mommy, Daddy, your brother and sister. Today is the day we would have missed you like crazy as you went to get your, “socialization,” and form stronger bonds with others five year olds. Today is the day when the world tries to tell you to grow up. Today is the day you would have been expected to be seen and not heard. Today is the day your teacher would have known better than Mommy and Daddy. Today you wouldn’t be able to sing your prayer of thanks to God for your food. Today would have been the day where God and family would have been pushed to the back as your desires are moved to the surface.
But Sweetheart, because of this amazing God we serve that spoke to your Momma and Daddy’s heart, today you are home with us ( your biggest fans), your sister (who will always be your best friend), and your brother (who runs after you til the day is through.) Today is the day we can sit as long as we want as you eat your breakfast talking about the crazy dream you had the night before and about the goodness of God. Today you are home with us for your most productive energetic hours of your day. You have amazing ideas for fun and creativity that benefit us all and are meant to be shared. Today is the day you tell us everything in that sweet mind of yours. Today we have all the time to laugh at the joys sometimes hidden in this life. YOU bring laughter to our day. Today we will learn and grow beyond four walls as you explore like a kid should with no time restraints or bells ringing except for when I call you in for lunch. Today I am so so thankful to have YOU. To have heard the sweet whispers from God to embark on this journey that could have otherwise turned out so differently. Today I am thankful!
I’m linking this post with:
The Prairie Homestead, A Mama’s story, Raising Arrows, The better Mom,The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Far Above Rubies, Growing Home, Heavenly Homemakers,Time Warp Wife, Thankful Homemaker, Mamal Diane, Teaching What is Good, A cat like curiosity, Mom’s the word, conerstone cofessions, A proverbs 31 wife, Some of the best things in life are mistakes, Let this mind be in you, A Wise Woman Builds her home, CSAHM Parenting Linkup, Deep Roots at Home, Graced Simplicity, Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, Hope in Every Season, Jill’s Home remedies, Little Natural Cottage, Our simple country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows, The Purposeful Mom, Consider the Lillies, Happy and Blessed Home, Homemaker by Choice, Your Thriving Family, My Joy Filled Life. New Life Steward, Hometead simple, Christian Mommy Blogger, Let this Mind Be in You, Heart Reflected
I Don’t Care
Ok, so here recently, I decided I just don’t stinking care anymore. But I’m thinking maybe that’s not such a terrible thing. Ya see, we have this dream to be out in the country on a little piece of land to grow our family and homestead. Well we actually feel like it’s more than a dream… maybe a calling… our passion. Let me tell ya, nothing has been easy! From the real estate games, showings, and negotiations it has left me an emotional wreck. Though I hate to admit it, when things haven’t gone my way I have questioned God. I wonder if He is testing me to see if I will trust Him, or if satan is tempting me to take my focus off God and try to control the situation myself.
Once we had our POD 85% packed our buyers decided to push back the closing by 2 1/2 weeks which threatens us of not being able to move to the country house. I would be lying if I didn’t say it wasn’t difficult or that I hadn’t shed a tear in frustration. Just today I realized something, I was never in control to begin with.
“A man’s heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps.” -Proverbs 16:9
Just because things aren’t going my way doesn’t mean they aren’t all part of God’s perfect orchestrated plan. My only job is to trust Him with all my heart, not lean on my own understanding, enjoy the ride, and tell of His goodness.
So no, I don’t care what happens. I’m feeling determined to not let this petty stuff on this earth steal the joy God has given me.
What are you putting back in God’s hands today? ( Even if you have to place it in His hands more than once)
Over protecting your kids?
I saw a quote once that read, “Are you sheltering your children? Good for you!” It made me take a step back think of how negatively people (myself included) can take the word sheltering or overprotection. We often forget that this is our job to protect and shelter them from the storms of life. Why is it that the so called, “Good,” parents expose their children too early to the hatred of this world. Some would even consider them responsible. They are essentially robbing their children of their sweet innocent years. I wish I were still sheltered for goodness sakes! I would love to not know about all the terrible things that go on around me!
With that being said I don’t think there is such a thing as sheltering your kids too much. I think the difference lies in how we as parents are EQUIPPING them. The definition of equip is to supply them with the necessary items for a particular purpose. As we, the over protective parents, prayerfully allow our children to be exposed to our world we should simultaneously be providing them with the necessary and accurate information to help mold their ideas into a Biblical world view.
This can all go wrong in two ways. The first is that we have no gate, sensors, or watch over our children. We assure ourselves by thinking that they will learn it soon anyway. This gives the devil an extreme advantage to whisper lies into their ear and can leave us with arms up in their teenage years wondering what happened.
This scenario could also go the opposite way. We pull our gate and reigns back so tightly that there are never any discussions as they grow or opportunity for God to use them to bring tough issues to light.
In either scenario there is no equipping. Both can be negligent in their own ways. It’s a tough job. We must pray continually for discernment on the right times and things that are appropriate to expose them to and how best to do it. Also a prayer of how to best prepare them for the challenges they will face with knowing information.
I personally am nowhere near the point of exposing my children to anything outside our Christian bubble at this point. My oldest is quite a curious and inquisitive soon to be five year old. As of now I am giving her one of the greatest gift I can by keeping her that wild child girl that flips cart wheels everywhere she goes.
I can begin to equip her now by teaching her to sit like a lady, be kind when you don’t want to be, and pray about everything. There is a fine line to this parenting thing. We must constantly pray for wisdom and guidance.
Disease of Perfection
Ever feel like your in a whirlwind of perfection everywhere? I just don’t understand why all of the kid’s craft pins on Pinterest have sparkling clean kitchen in the background with a toddler holding a sparkly paper towel roll with pipe cleaners sticking out of it. Y’all know you’ve seen stuff like this. And if your honest with yourself, like me, you sometimes think, “Dang, I need to be doing that! Why can’t I get myself together enough to have a sparkling clean house filled with sweet crafts from all my children?”
I’m just not convinced that mamas back then had it this tough. Perfection is thrown in our face. Even we ourselves can hide behind our precious Facebook pictures and clever status updates. I don’t know about y’all but I’m ready to be REAL! I don’t have it all together, not even close.
I don’t post in detail about my day often because it would look something like this… My Morning: Today I sprung out of bed and went downstairs as quickly as possible, excited beyond belief to spend some time with God?? Nope! Y’all, it’s to be by myself with my coffee! (I know that is terrible…I’m jut being real here.) About five minutes later I hear little footsteps so I roll my eyes, then automatically feel guilty because I know one day I will miss this. I cuddle with her for a few minutes till I fix her breakfast, then start to clean the kitchen from the night before, mad at myself the entire time that I did that again… I start to hear the other ones wake up so I load the dishwasher as quickly as I can because the baby likes to climb in it.
See what I mean?? I’m thinking I’m not the only one who has mornings like this. (I hope not)
Let’s take the mask off mamas and start being real. We need each other. Let’s talk and blog about how we sat in our messy kitchens and read to unbathed children in pajamas. Let’s stop pretending that we have it all together, because we don’t, and we never will. They are raising us just as much as we are raising them. Today I’m boycotting perfection and I’m gonna wrap my arms around God’s grace and my stinky children and enjoy every moment.
Are ya with me? Subscribe and share what you are boycotting today!
Classical Conversations
Can I just say, I love Classical Conversations! This is a home school group that has been extremely beneficial to my family on our homeschooling journey. This is one of the many home school trains I plan on staying on to see where it leads.
Classical education is the way God created our minds to learn. This model is made up of the grammar, dialectic, and rhetorical phases. These phases are also based on scripture in reference to knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
Three Phases also know as the trivium.
For the sake of explaining I will use the grocery store as an analogy of how the three phases of learning work.
- Grammar (memorization)- Memorizing what food is in what aisle. Biblically: Knowledge
- Dialectic (reasoning)- Being able to reason that yogurt could be near the milk because they are both in the dairy family. Biblically: Understanding
- rhetorical (teach back)- Being able to use what hey have learned to can grab ingredients and make a cake for someone and give instructions on how they did it. Biblically: Wisdom
Every Thursday we meet with our group (community) and go over the new material we will be going over in home that week. The children also do a presentation every week along with an art project or science experiment.
For a home school Momma this stuff is awesome! It can be difficult to teach public speaking or dissect a frog at home. This gives them that chance and helps put us momma’s minds at ease.
As I have gotten older I have wished I had more knowledge of the world around me. I feel that if I had that background knowledge then I would feel more confident and validated to give my point of view. After test taking all of the history, math, or science I learned went right out the window.
The classical education has God in the center with every subject pointed back to Him while all being interrelated. With this model I will be able to show my kids HOW to learn anything. They can take what they are passionate about and then teach others and bring God glory all at the same time.
I would love to hear your experiences! Which home school groups have worked well for your family?
How to Respark your Marriage with Babies
photo courtesy of piyaphon/freedigitalphotos.net
Relighting the fire in your marriage is no simple feat, but it can be done. Most marriages don’t burnout overnight. They slowly grow dimmer as you add in dirty diapers and sassy children. When you add in loss of sleep you’re hoping to even find the darn candle to even start the process of relighting it! When you have a true desire to turn things around in your marriage that’s when you’ll find your candle. Now you just need to add a little fuel everyday to keep this marriage strong and secure to fight satan who is ready to pounce. Let’s not give him opportunity!
Fuel
Fancy schmancy date night (when you can). We have heard this over and over again. This is not your ordinary date night. It’s true that planning a date night can be quite aggravating with babies at home. Not that it should never be done, but by the time you get a sitter, possibly pay them, then go to dinner it has turned into quite an expense. During the baby making years this isn’t always feasible, especially every week like conventional advice would tell you. Maybe your budget only allows for every other month with coupon in hand? If that’s the case we need to think of ways to refuel within our 4 walls.
Time well spent
Now it can be hard for us to not let the kid’s bedtime turn into our, “Work like crazy to catch up,” time. We had originally set the bedtime to give us time alone. Most nights it’s more time apart completing our projects we had going on through the day. The marriage relationship is so important and should be treated as such. An occasional movie is fine but quality time doesn’t need to require sitting in front of the television set. We like to sit on the porch. It helps keep our mind off things going on inside and lets us simply talk with no interruptions and fresh air.
Remember at the beginning of your marriage how you talked and dreamed of the future. Those conversations are sweet memories that can add fuel. Let’s dream again with our husbands. Let’s put in the effort and our time to time let them know there is nowhere else you’d rather spend it. Our men love our attention.
Talk to God
Prayer and hearing what God says through His word is the best thing for any marriage. This gives you clear vision and focus on why God designed marriage. This is the time when God speaks and leads your family to His ultimate plans. You don’t want to miss this time. Any time of day would work as log as you just do it. This is an area we need to work on. I can’t tell you how many times Tim was praying as we were laying in bed at night and I have fallen asleep waking up just in time to say amen!
Good Kissing
Give that man those good kisses from the past. You know the ones! Give him the kind to where he doesn’t want to leave for work in the mornings. I’m thinking this would probably be one of those little fire starter logs not just fuel! Let him know that you still find him attractive and that you are in love with him. Our touch and kiss can help him soar through his day. Your passion from the past can help you remember that giddy feeling.
The point is , this time is critical. Our young children are watching, strangers are watching. We want to be an example of a strong marriage. Not the fake ones where you throw on a smile as you walk out the door. But the bond that others see is unshakable. Bring your family closer with your husband by your side and God in the center to fight the devil’s agenda to destroy our families during these precious hectic years of raising our babies.
Embrace Motherhood
This is one of my greatest desires, to fully embrace motherhood. Motherhood is the relationship between myself and my children. This quote really puts things in perspective for me, “Motherhood is NOT a hobby, it is a calling. It is NOT something to do if you can squeeze time in. It is what God gave you time for.” -Neil L. Anderson
The relationship with my children is a gift God has given me. I don’t want to take this lightly. Something that has really stuck out to me recently was when I met this couple for the first time. My friend introduced them to me as her homeschool cheerleaders. They explained to me that they had five children and had homeschooled them from the beginning. I said, ” Wow, no wonder your the cheerleaders!” The mother answered back and said, “I can’t take credit, we have really awesome kids. They are so much fun and we are really blessed.” I never realized until that moment how unoften I hear other mothers speak so highly of their children. I do not even know this woman but her comment had such a huge impact on me. It’s true that motherhood is a calling, but just like every good and perfect gift from from the Lord it is meant to be enjoyed, treasured, and celebrated.
My heart is overflowing as I write and think about these littles at my feet. I don’t want to just squeeze in the time anymore. Heck, I don’t even want a clock or calendar. I want the ones that call me Momma a gazillion times a day. I want them to hear me talk of the blessed Woman I am to be their momma to strangers we meet.
I’m linking this post with:
The Prairie Homestead, A Mama’s story, Raising Arrows, The better Mom,The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Far Above Rubies, Growing Home, Heavenly Homemakers,Time Warp Wife, Thankful Homemaker, Mamal Diane, Teaching What is Good, A cat like curiosity, Mom’s the word, conerstone cofessions, A proverbs 31 wife, Some of the best things in life are mistakes, Let this mind be in you, A Wise Woman Builds her home, CSAHM Parenting Linkup, Deep Roots at Home, Graced Simplicity, Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, Hope in Every Season, Jill’s Home remedies, Little Natural Cottage, Our simple country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows, The Purposeful Mom, Consider the Lillies, Happy and Blessed Home, Homemaker by Choice, Your Thriving Family, My Joy Filled Life. New Life Steward, Hometead simple, Christian Mommy Blogger, Let this Mind Be in You, Heart Reflected
Hey Y'all! My name is Brittany Styron. Sweet Country Roots is a place I hope to encourage, inspire, and bring a chuckle. Grab yourself a cup of coffee and join conversations about marriage, babies, homeschooling, frugal living, good food, and an old fashioned way of thinking.
