Patience is a Virtue

 

Have patience, have patience
Don't be in such a hurry
When you get impatient, you only start to worry
Remember, remember that God is patient, too
And think of all the times when others have to wait for you...

 

I had to sing this chorus to myself again today.  I learned this song in elementary school (from the Music Machine) and it amazes me how often it flashes through my brain--when I'm sitting in the Starbuck's drive-thru, when I'm standing in line at Walmart, and when I'm waiting on an e-mail from someone at work.  

Sometimes slow is good; inefficient is better; and overdue is best. When life isn't going at a galloping pace we can enjoy it more.  And when we're not flying through our lives, we can see the needs of others better.  Patience is a virtue that we must not forget.    

Inspiration for the Big Boy Room

When my oldest child moved out of his crib into his big boy space, my husband and I had a blast creating his airplane room.  We painted a world map on one entire wall.  We installed a shelving unit shaped like the front of an airplane on another wall.  (An amazing find at an antique store.)  And we picked out very handsome furniture and an airplane quilt to top off the theme.  This wasn't some bought-it-at-Walmart decorated room.  It was really cool.  Until the house flooded.  

Now, my youngest son is getting to the age where we need to make some decisions about his sleeping arrangement.  Since his brother's furniture was ruined in our Great Flood, we've decided that it might be a good time to let him share a room with his brother.  As a result, we've been considering how best to create dual sleeping arrangements in a typically small child's bedroom.  Do you use bunk beds, parallel twin beds, or perpendicular beds in the corner?

We've been in and out of stores checking children's furniture and/or decor.  And of course, we've found inspiration for our future boys' room at Pottery Barn.  Not all the pieces of furniture or decorations in the pictures below are for sale, but these pictures are proof that it is possible to put 2 (or more) children in a room together while maintaining style and class.

Oh, if only I had a carpenter who could install some of these architectural features in my house!  And if only I had a maid to keep our rooms this clean!  These rooms are like Mommy Heaven.  Unfortunately, the dimensions on some of these beds are just completely unrealistic for a normal size room.  Still, that doesn't mean that Mommy can't be inspired. 

I'm sure that someday my boys won't care at all about how their bedroom was decorated when they were toddlers.  But Mommy will remember.  She'll think back to those sweet memories of little boys building trains on the floor and she'll smile about how cute they were in their fantastic big boy room. 

Stay tuned...Hopefully in a few months I'll be able to show how this inspiration was translated into our space.

The Phone Call

"Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him..." I Corinthians 7:17

I received an unexpected phone call yesterday.  It was from one of the Deans from my former law school who was calling to see if I was interested in a particular job offer that had come across her desk.  Despite the fact that the job was not something that I felt qualified for, somehow I made the list of potential candidates.  It was flattering to be considered.  So I thanked the Dean and then explained my current family/work situation.

As I described my current situation to the Dean, I wasn't sure how she would feel about me at that point.  Much to my surprise, she informed me that I had made a very wise decision to not pursue the big firm job right now.  She told me that my work situation was ideal.  And she told me that I had made the right decision as a mother to do what I'm doing.

I almost fell off the couch when I heard that.  Despite the career service lectures that I had heard for 4 years describing the ultimate law career in "big law," someone from career services was agreeing with my decision to not be a big firm lawyer!  Not only that, but the Dean, a mother herself, was actually telling me it was much more important to be a mom right now!  It was a nice confirmation for me to be reminded that I had made the right career choice.

Over the course of the last 6 months, I've come to realize that God wants me where He has me right now.  Despite knowing that I am where I'm supposed to be, I still have days where I wonder what in the world I'm doing.  I really do ask questions like "Why did I ever go to law school?" or "How am I ever going to feel good about doing housework?"  For the record, I don't enjoy housework.  Yet, I know that I'm supposed to be at home doing housework!  And when I start having these kinds of thoughts, I begin to feel sorry for myself and get frustrated. 

Every once in awhile, I need a gentle reminder that I need to accept the place in life that the Lord has assigned to me.  Yesterday's reminder came in a telephone call.  I'm so thankful that God is patient with me and doesn't slap me upside the head every time I start to have doubts or fears.  He is faithful.  He sends His confirmation messages in His own, gentle way. 

Just remember that the next time the phone rings and you don't recognize the number, it might be a telephone call that God wants you to pick up.  That phone call could be a gentle reminder of God's calling for your life.

NFL Pick 'Em Week 5: Playing Like a Girl

Week 5 went very well.  I narrowly lost in my college pick 'em this week but made up my lost point with very successful NFL picks.  I might even pick up another point if Chicago can pull out a win tonight too.  I wish I could say that there was an art to the whole fantasy football thing, but I'm pretty sure there's not.  That said, I've learned a few rules this year that have helped me venture into this male-dominated world of fantasy football.

These are the top 5 rules that I've learned to live by: 

1. All it takes is one lucky week.  That's right folks, in one miraculous week I managed to not only steal the lead, but to OWN the lead in our competition.  But I'm not planning my locker room celebration just yet.  A lot can happen in a little time.  So if you're losing, don't give up.  Time is your friend.
2.  It's ok to make your picks based on team mascots and colors.  Guys often accuse girls of picking teams based on their mascots and colors (or cute quarterbacks.)  And you know what?  I think it's ok to use whatever method you want to pick teams.  You still have a 50/50 chance that you're right.  And in my opinion, those aren't bad odds.
3.  A team that loses one week will sometimes play harder the next week.  Elite athletes don't like to feel like losers any more than the rest of us.  So if they lose one week, they're likely to play better the following week.  Especially if the loss was embarrassing.  (We've seen this phenomenon with Tony Romo.)  So just because a team is on a losing streak doesn't mean you should discount them completely. 
4.  Home field advantage is a true phenomenon.  Teams really do play better at home.  I don't know if it's because of the fans, the referees, or because they're able to sleep in their own beds, but players seem to have a different sort of energy when they play on their own field.  I'm of the opinion that teams are not likely to lose every home game of the year.  So when in doubt, or if you really can't decide who might win, pick the home team. (But stay away from the Colts this season.)
5.  There is no such thing as an expert.  Yahoo and ESPN both have their sports "experts" whose opinions they share in order to help you make your picks.  They pick their games every week and are supposed to have a superior level of football knowledge.  But I've learned that the experts' accuracy is about as poor as Texas meteorologists.  They might know a lot about football, but no one can predict what's actually going to happen on the field.  So unless the expert is also psychic, don't rely solely on their opinion when making your picks.     

Anyone (or man) who thinks that fantasy football requires hours of analysis and strategy is just wasting everybody's time.  I typically spend 15 minutes making my college and NFL picks every Wednesday afternoon.  And then they're done for the week.  By Saturday I usually have to get out my laptop to see who I picked on Wednesday and to start cheering for those teams.  Somehow, this low-stress, matter-of-fact approach has worked quite well.  So the next time you hear a man discussing/rehashing/bemoaning/complaining about/questioning his picks.  Tell him to get a life and play like a girl. 

9 Innings of Hot Dogs, Fireworks, and Squirrels

My oldest son is starting to act like his father.  He's getting really excited about baseball.  He stays glued to the TV when baseball games are on because he wants to see the fireworks that get shot off after homeruns.  In his opinion, baseball is all about the fireworks.

Last weekend, his daddy and grandpas took him to watch the Texas Rangers take on the Tampa Bay Rays in game 2 of the 2011 American League Division series.  This was his first play-off game, and it just made sense that this should be a guy's night.  For days, he was so excited to go with the guys to the game so that he could get a hot dog and see fireworks.

As you can probably tell from the pictures, baseball games don't have quite the same meaning for 3 year olds as they do for their daddies.  My little guy really loved playing with the binoculars.  And then he got really excited about waving his Rangers towel.  At some point, he convinced Daddy to buy him the Ranger hat, a hot dog, a red baseball bat, a foam finger for his little brother, and whatever else he wanted to eat.  This was like a party for the little man.

Last night, my little guy was running around holding his hands up and making strange faces.  When I asked him what he was doing, he told me that he was being a squirrel at a baseball game.  If you haven't seen the footage of the squirrel at the Phillies' game, watch this:

I was thoroughly impressed that my little guy knew about the squirrel.  It obviously made an impression on him when he saw the squirrel on TV. 

Oh to see the world through the eyes of a 3 year old. Everything could be so much funnier.  And baseball games might be so much more exciting.  Who knew that 9 innings could be so much fun?!

Ride 'Em Ranger

My little Texan.  He's riding the horse that Grandpa made the boys, and he's also wearing his Texas Rangers jersey.  Can't really get more Texan than that.  (We'll, I did hear his older brother say the word fixin' the other day.)

This little guy could blissfully ride his horsey for hours.  Oh to be this happy all the time!

Looking Away From the Magic Mirror

"Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways." Psalm 119:37

I read an article this morning about a lawsuit taking place in Missouri. See Suburban Journal.  A plastic surgeon's patients are suing her for the fact that she had before-and-after topless photos of these women on her website with their names by their pictures.  Although I'm not sure how well the plaintiffs are going to be able to prove damages, I sure do think that in this case, the doctor was wrong.  Not only did the doctor violate HIPAA regulations by advertising her patient's names, but she also completely violated their privacy.  Now the entire world knows about the reconstruction that they've had.  And the world can see it.

There is definitely a time and place for plastic surgery.  Some medical conditions require intervention and reconstruction and I'm totally ok with that.  On the other hand, plastic surgery is, in many ways, a pursuit of vanity.  It's about trying to portray yourself as something idealistic and something you're not.  As a nurse, I had the opportunity to provide post-operative care for many plastic surgery patients.  And I found that many women just wanted the surgery to feel good about themselves. They were discontent, and they were seeking the ideal female image as portrayed in Hollywood. 

Why is it that we, as women, see pictures and think that we have to look like the images portrayed?  Why do we yearn to look like the celebrities that we watch on TV?  Maybe it's because we indulge ourselves by looking at the images in the first place.  Our eyes reveal a false beauty, and we're convinced that we need to pursue it.  We forget to turn our eyes where they should go--God's Word.  And we start pursuing the little rabbit trails of vanity instead.  For some people it's the pursuit of bodily perfection, for some it's materialism, and for others it's a lifestyle. 

I'm sure that if our pursuits of vanity were portrayed for all to see on the world wide web, we'd also want to sue somebody for emotional distress.  Because when all is said and done, our pursuits are pretty embarrassing and meaningless.  They're proof that we're not perfect.

It's not easy to look away from the "magic mirrors" in this world.  I have to work really hard to remind myself to turn off the TV, to stop shopping for clothes online, to stop reading magazines, and to stop worrying about making my clothes fit perfectly.  My life would be so much more meaningful and happy if I would turn my eyes upward and focus on more meaningful pursuits. 

Barnes' Notes on the Bible says it so eloquently as it explains Psalm 119:37 "A man should be thankful in this world that he has eyelids; and as he can close his eyes, so he should often do it."  And women should be thankful that we have eyelids too; so we can close them and forget about the  images of "perfection" that we see.

To the poor women in Missouri whose vanity has been exposed--I hope it was worth it.

A Little Photo of Fall

Doesn't this picture make you feel like picking apples?  Grandpa and his granddaughters are picking fruit in a rural part of Massachusetts together.  They're making some special memories.  When I look at this photo, I just want to make them a cup of cider and a pie!  Too cute.

Country Magazine is having their annual photo contest, and someone I know is a finalist.  My former high school principal (and my first boss) is in the running for the grand prize vacation.  Please go vote for his photo at http://country-magazine.com/Contest-FM11.asp?RefURL=&KeyCode=&tdate=&PMCode=&OrgURL=; his picture is #4.  This man is one of the nicest guys I have ever met, and his photo with his granddaughters is precious.  Please go vote.

NFL Week 4: Feeling the Mojo

I should probably feel guilty for the way I treated my husband last week.  Not only did I smack talk him on my blog page as a result of my wonderful fantasy football score, but I also did it using a quote from his favorite movie.  Shame on me.  This week, I'll take a kinder, more gentle approach.

I love you dear, and I hope you're saving your pennies because my lead is only getting larger.  

Week 4 of our fantasy picks was actually much harder than I expected.  I lost a ton of games.  Fortunately, these were games that my husband lost as well.  The key to doing well at this game is to pick wins that your opponent didn't pick.  And this week, he made the grave mistake in college football not to pick SMU.  I've been telling him for years that TCU football is hugely OVERRATED.  And now that the Southern Methodist ponies are enjoying their iron skillet, they have proved my point.   Plus, I really needed them to win.  I'm an alumna and I felt obligated to pick them.  (Yes, alumna is the proper word since I'm female.)  Somewhere the Mustang vibe was working, because they gained me a solid point in our race to the designer prize.

As far as the NFL picks are concerned, I think my fairy godmother sprinkled her magic dust on New York for me.  It turned out extremely well for me that the Giants won and the Jets lost.  Plus I have talked Buffalo up so much over the last few weeks, that I actually convinced my husband to pick them this week.  That didn't turn out too well.   I think they're one of those teams that manages to win a few times and is suddenly overrated.  It just never turns out well for these teams in the long run.

So the moral of the story this week is that to have good picks, you have to beware of teams that are overrated.  This means that you have to go against public opinion and just go with your gut.  Or maybe you just have to have some good mojo.  But let's be honest here, when you're winning, does it really matter?

The Military Gene

My family is very pro-military.  On my side of the family, I have relatives who served in the Army and the Navy.  And my husband has family members who served in the Air Force and even attended the Academy.  I just assumed that it was the knowledge that we have direct family connections to different branches of the military and the knowledge that our Grandparents served in major historical conflicts that has ignited the interest in military history in my house.  But now I'm starting to think that the military attitude is genetic.  You know, it's just in your blood.

I have this new theory, because last night I found my 1 year old son playing with toy soldiers.  My mom had brought the boys a bag of plastic soldiers the day before and my oldest son was really excited to play with his "warriors."  But last night, my youngest was sitting on the floor by himself and talking to the army men.  When I walked into the kitchen, he had men lined up on different sides of the tile floor. The green soldiers were on one side, and the brown were on the other.  Then I looked at what he was doing.  He was holding a green soldier and he was making it fight the brown soldier with hand-to-hand combat.  Then suddenly, a bunch of brown soldiers got knocked over.  He had created a war.

How does this happen?  How does a 1 year old child understand what to do with toy soldiers?  He probably watched his brother play with them at some point, but this little guy knew exactly what he was doing.  Sound effects and everything.  This is not something that he was taught.  It's like he had this innate instinct how to create a war!

Needless to say, Daddy was thrilled.  His little boy likes to play soldier.  Daddy can't wait until his boys are bigger so we can recreate the Battle of Gettysburg in our living room with civil war toy soldiers and cannons.  I can already imagine the field trips that we'll take to the actual battlefields someday too.  Daddy now has a war buddy.

I tried to take a picture of the little battle in my kitchen last night, but once the little guy saw the camera, he started following me around saying "cheese."  Oh well.  I'm sure there will be many more battles to come.