by kathilipp | Mar 14, 2014 | Relationships |
Ahem…. Well, it happened. My 10-month-old granddaughter kicked my butt.
Yep, this new grandma found herself struggling with a diaper that resembled the aftermath of an atomic blast. Residue, aka baby poo, squirted forth in all directions as squiggling arms and legs that appeared to be practicing infant calisthenics, landed in said residue. I quickly understood that now the small child needed a bath, a new pile of laundry emerged and I spied something that didn’t belong under my fingernails. Eeek! Finishing the cleanup I realized that the baby AND grandma needed a bottle and a nap.
My son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, Elise, moved into our home this past week. They are relocating from another state. I thought handling a baby would be a piece of cake after all; I already raised two kids to adulthood. I couldn’t have forgotten that much, or did I?
Well thankfully the baby mama arrived upon said disaster and gave me some gentle teaching with empathy and grace. And a week later, I’m equipped to withstand any diaper that may come my way. *grin*
Even as a grandmother I can learn a lot from a young mom. And younger moms can likely learn a lot from an out of practice Grandma.
I’m convinced that the body of Christ is moving into a new awareness of God’s Presence. And in this next move of God we will see a joining of the generations like never before. The young, old, and in-between will rise to bring God’s purposes and His Kingdom to earth (Matthew 6:9-13).
This is a season in the body where we will learn and place great value the voices of young and old. And just like I had to relearn to diaper a baby there are some timeless experiences I can pass to my daughter-in-law.
As I look back on a lifetime of raising children, if I could tell every mother just one thing I it would be this:
It’s worth it!
It’s worth the years and tears you pour into your little ones. On days when there is poop in the tub, the dog barfed on the carpet, the laundry towers in the hall and little ones cry at your feet. And when no one sees all you sacrifice for your family and a greatly needed pat on the back does not come, it’s still worth it.
Every bit of effort of love, correction, instruction, laughter, fun, and the time you pour into little lives, it is worth it. It is building the character and love into another human being. And your children will step into adulthood fully equipped with faith, love, purpose, and passion.
Mom, You are a legacy maker.
One more thing I would share with every mother is to remember when you begin to question yourself and your parenting ability, I want you to be assured that God is standing by your side, day after day. He is whispering hope into your soul. Life into your tired eyes. Joy into the mundane and love into your heart. Let His voice assure, “You are more than enough.”
When writing my parenting book I came to a place one day where I was stuck. During this frustrating writer’s block, I ask God, “God, what do you want to tell every mother.” Well God was just waiting for me to ask. And immediately a string of words began to go through my head. It’s His personal letter to every mother. Below is a link to download this letter. I pray you will print it out and read in moments of doubt, fatigue, and fear. I’m encouraged to tears of joy each time I read it. I pray you will be too.
God is standing right next to you Mom. He is walking you through to your highest and holy calling, Motherhood.
Beloved Mother
For a chance to win a copy of Lynn’s book Not Alone share what advice has impacted you the most on being the mother God has called you to be or who has been your greatest mentor in mothering. We are giving away TWO copies. You have until MONDAY, March 17 to enter. You can also buy it on Amazon today.
Lynn Donovan is a speaker, author, and an ordinary woman who shares with audiences her everyday adventures of walking in the Presence of God. Her delight is igniting women’s hearts with Holy Spirit fire, inspiring wives and mothers to step fully into their high and holy calling of marriage and motherhood with joy, laughter and God’s favor. She has been featured guest on the 700 Club Interactive, Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson’s FamilyTalk and FamilyLife Today. She coauthored the award winning book, Winning Him Without Words and also Not Alone, Trusting God to Help You Raise Godly Kids In a Spiritually Mismatched Marriage. She has a son and a daughter and a granddaughter. She lives with her husband in Temecula, California. Visit Lynn online at MismatchedAndThriving.com.
by kathilipp | Mar 7, 2014 | Relationships |
I met my husband James in grad school where strangely enough, I studied alongside other students who had been Miss Oregon, Miss California, and even a future Miss America.
Let’s face it. We women are prone to comparisons. When I think about those beauty pageant winners, sometimes I don’t even feel like Miss Cul-de-Sac. I don’t think I could win a contest in housekeeping, beauty, or culinary arts. But you know what? Those titles don’t really matter.
After all, my dear husband didn’t pick a Miss (insert amazing category here). He picked me. For better or for worse. For dress-up date nights and sweatpants mom days.
And guess what? If you are married, your husband picked you too. Over all the other girls in the world, he chose you. (Hang on single ladies, your prince may be on his way too)
Instead of hanging your head down because your make-up isn’t perfect or you need a tummy tuck, put a smile on your face and your best foot forward.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. That’s what it proclaims in Psalm 119. But I’m afraid many of us believe the opposite. We fear that we are NOT fearfully and wonderful made. If we allow it to, physical shortcomings can sabotage our ability to be happy in our own skin.
We all come pre-packaged with strength and weaknesses. Don’t fall into the comparison trap which quickly diminishes the wonderful gifts you offer to the world. Let go of your unrealistic expectations of “perfect” and appreciate what you have. Accentuate your strengths!
Listen to what God is asking you to do in your marriage, not what popular culture dictates you should do. You are beautiful in God’s sight and you know what? Your husband thinks you’re beautiful too. That’s why he chose you.
So tell me in the comments below the amazing qualities you have the your husband loves and chose YOU for. One reader will be chosen to win a copy of Arlene’s book 31 Days to Becoming a Happy Wife. If you can’t wait to read it you can buy it on Amazon now.
You have until Monday, March 10 to enter.
Arlene Pellicane is a speaker and author of 31 Days to Becoming a Happy Wife.
She and her husband James live in Southern California with their three children.
You can visit her website to Take the Quiz: Are You a Happy Wife?
by kathilipp | Feb 9, 2014 | Relationships |
I get frustrated at times with the idea we all get to determine how much our partner loves us by the size of the gift and whether the gesture of love went viral on YouTube. Yuck. We don’t need over the top. I think we just need a little something special for our men, presented in a slightly special way. Let’s learn how to love him with stuff in Day 2!
I wrote about this in my book The Marriage Project:
A tree ran into my car.
Yes, you read that sentence correctly.
I am blessed to live in Northern California where we bundle up in our winter woolens if there is a slight chill in the air, and the only snow we see is when someone forgets to use their Head & Shoulders shampoo.
So it was out of the ordinary when the storm rolled through town. Power outages were reported all over the city, fender benders littered the highways, and the Starbucks on our corner was closed.
Obviously, this was a desperate situation.
When I got home from my morning speaking engagement, I parked my van and ran inside, desperate to warm up and dry out.
I went upstairs to our bedroom, where my husband was working at his desk. Not five minutes after I got changed into dry clothes, Roger and I heard a big crack and looked out in horror and amazement as our giant oak tree decided to take up residence on top of my car.
All we could do was watch, laugh, and thank God that no one was in the car at the time.
Since then, I’ve been cruising around town in a series of rental cars until my van is fully functioning again. I’ve tried out hybrids and subcompacts, 4-runners and sedans.
Until yesterday. Yesterday, the rental agency ran out of the teeny-tiny cars I was renting to save money. They asked me if, for a few dollars more, I would like an upgrade to a nicer car that was available right away…a current model black Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Um…OK.
I knew, being in possession of that car, I had to turn our ho-hum, stay-at-home night into an out-on-the-town date night. You wouldn’t want an automobile like that going to waste, now would you?
Roger and I used a gift card to get a couple of lattes at a Starbucks drive-thru, and then took a drive into the mountains, sipping our drinks and enjoying the scenery and the company. A perfect date—all for the small price of an upgraded rental car.
There was just something so fun and adventurous about that car that it turned that silly little latte into a memory that will last us a lifetime.
So this week, I want you to get him a little something, but give it to him in a special way.
Here are some ideas for a little something to love him with stuff (all of these can be had for under $5):
- His favorite candy bar (that he doesn’t have to share with you).
- A magazine that he loves but is too cheap to subscribe to.
- His favorite sports drink.
- 5 packs of his favorite gum.
- His favorite Starbucks drink delivered to work.
- A frozen yogurt.
- A guy-flick movie rental.
- Baking him his favorite chocolate chip cookies.
- A small bottle of manly scented lotion with the promise of a back rub.
- $5 iTunes gift card (or Google Play for our Windows guys.)
- A video game rental.
- $5 in quarters for the local arcade.
- A new ringtone.
OK – now to give it to him in a special way. You could…
- Leave it on the dashboard of his truck.
- Hide it in his computer bag.
- Tie it to the dog (as long as it’s not edible…)
- Have one of your kids deliver it.
- Put it on his pillow.
- Have Amazon send it to his office.
What are you going to get him to love him with stuff – and how are you going to give it to him? Share your ideas in the comments below so we can all learn from each other!
GO….
by kathilipp | Feb 4, 2014 | Relationships, Uncategorized |
Your first challenge is simple. All I want you to do is say something nice to your husband. That’s it. Really. Let’s just love him with words
Because the truth is: often we wives have the power to change the way our husbands walk through the world by choosing the words we speak to them.
How you do it is up to you. Here are a few ideas for ways to love him with words:
- Say it to him
- Text it to him
- Put it on a Post-it Note in his truck
- Call him
- Whisper it to him
- Put it in a card in his computer case
- Write it in lipstick on the bathroom mirror
Have you got your great idea of how you’re going to say it? Great. Now what to say…
Here are some ideas. These are from The Husband Project: 21 Post-it Note Sized Encouragements
And remember, tell me in the comments what you did (or are planning to do) to love him with words. (And post a picture to my Facebook Page so I can share your love with the world!)
by kathilipp | Jan 29, 2014 | Relationships |
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about whether we are doing THE HUSBAND PROJECT on the blog this year. As much as I would love to, we are pretty chalk-full around these parts with clearing out our clutter. So this year we are keeping it simple, but on purpose – four weeks – four quick challenges. Each week, just look for the challenge, and do it – it can take less than 5 minutes and your husband will love it.
And of course, each week there will be a little give away. So once you do the challenge, share in the comments and you’ll be entered to win.
Want to join in? Let me know in the comments below and you’ll be entered to win your own copy of The Husband Project.
Come on. You can do it. 5 minutes to show your husband the love. Let’s make everyone’s February a little love-lier…
by kathilipp | Jan 20, 2014 | Home, Relationships, The "What's for dinner?" Project |
Meal time can be one of the most hectic times in a mama’s day. With today’s busy schedules, it is easier to drive through than dive in to your kitchen.
These easy steps will help you make meal planning easy so that you can get to the fun part of connecting with your family and not just the food!
Step 1:
Create a master list of meals for the month. Click here for a list of FREEBIES where you can find a shopping/inventory sheet to make your meal planning easy! Keep in mind your family schedule as you create meals for each day. Tuesdays and Thursdays tend to be less chaotic in our home, so I can plan a little more elaborate meal for those days. Now, some days, elaborate may mean that I just put a pat of butter on the green beans before serving, but usually it means that I can make something that might take a bit more time or preparation. The “What’s For Dinner?” Solution is a wonderful resource to create quick, easy, affordable meals.
Step 2:
Put each of the meals into categories for easy planning. A few that I use are Freezer meals – ones that I have on the freezer already, Slow Cooker meals – ones that I will need my crock pot for and create ahead of time, or LOOP meals – Left Over On Purpose. This might mean a turkey pot pie from the leftover turkey from the dinner the night before. Once you have the meals, you can organize what you need for each meal.
Step 3:
Create the calendar and make copies of it for the next couple months. Some things might change, but when you have a template to work from, it makes life a whole lot easier. After you use it, you can evaluate if the system is working.
Planning your meals ahead of time will help you feel more in control and less frazzled at dinner hour. Thinking ahead gives you the freedom to enjoy your day. To help you start planning right away, just subscribe to my blog right over there in the purple little post-it and get a free copy of The Ultimate Guide to Man Food. Easy Peasy!
Lynn Donovan is a speaker, author, and an ordinary woman who shares with audiences her everyday adventures of walking in the Presence of God. Her delight is igniting women’s hearts with Holy Spirit fire, inspiring wives and mothers to step fully into their high and holy calling of marriage and motherhood with joy, laughter and God’s favor. She has been featured guest on the 700 Club Interactive, Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson’s FamilyTalk and FamilyLife Today. She coauthored the award winning book, Winning Him Without Words and also Not Alone, Trusting God to Help You Raise Godly Kids In a Spiritually Mismatched Marriage. She has a son and a daughter and a granddaughter. She lives with her husband in Temecula, California. Visit Lynn online at MismatchedAndThriving.com.
