Fingerprints

Who hasn't taken the opportunity to write in some frosty glass? Or make a hand print? It's like a right of passage in the cooler months of the year. And when the frost goes away, the print does too. Or so we think. The next time the glass fogs up, the print will reappear- it's like magic to a kid.

When my brother was young, he showed a talent in anything mechanical. By the age of 13, a local small engine shop hired him to fix lawn mowers and along with that talent came greasy hands. We always knew where Brad had been by the fingerprints he left behind. And although this was a minor nuisance to the one who had to clean up the greasy prints... the prints followed him to a career in mechanical engineering.

Now that I have boys, I often clean up sticky hand prints from food, dirt and crafts. But, that's what we do... We use our sense of touch on millions of items each day. And everywhere we go, we leave our fingerprints- visible or not. Webster's Dictionary defines fingerprint as something that identifies: as a trait, trace or characteristic of revealing origin. Fingerprints reveal who you are.

Every time you touch your children, you are leaving characteristics of you all over them. What type of fingerprints will you leave behind? Every time you interact with the people at work, traces of you fill the room. What will you write on their frosty windows? And whenever you interact with the world, your traits stick to everything you touch. What type of imprint will you leave on the world?

Ephesians 4 urges us to live a life worthy of the calling we have received. We will one day be held accountable for the millions of fingerprints we are responsible for. I challenge you to ponder the prints that identify you each day.

The Nose Speaks...

Yesterday... The boys were playing at the playground and a mom approached me. She said, "Is that your little boy over there?" I immediately got nervous. "Yes." I said.

Then she said... "Well, he had an accident. Pee is going everywhere." Now, I get that this was a 'had to be there' kind of moment. But, the way she said it was as if she had NEVER had a child wet their pants and was pronouncing judgment on me. She wanted him off the playground ASAP.

I approached the boy with the pee on his pants and he was terribly embarrassed. He had wet his pants on the mulch, not on the playground equipment but she was staring me down waiting for my exit. Then, to make matters worse, her friend showed up for a play-date and she begin to point and make faces as she described her disapproval.

I think this was a bad case of 'snooty.' Did I need to know that my child had an accident? Of course. But, would he probably have run by me a minute later and brought it to my attention without the public embarrassment of the Accident Police? Absolutely.

So, come on moms... we have to stick together. I have noticed the judgement between mothers since I became a mom five years ago. Moms ask other moms questions just to gloat and brag about their own child? Like, "Is your baby sleeping through the night? Oh, he's not???? Little Johnny has been sleeping all night since he was one day old."

My dad and his immense wisdom gave me a great answer to all of those judgemental moms. He said, "When they say something that is mean and judgmental, say, 'Well, my baby does 20 baby push-ups every morning.'"

Makes me smile. I think of it whenever I am standing in front of a judgemental mom.

And the truth of the matter is... we just don't need that from each other. Motherhood is a challenge. And no matter how you choose to go about it, the judgement of others always seems to be there. But, who made any of us the standard that all other mothers should live up to?

Jack Welch, an American businessman and author said at a recent leadership conference, "Don't be more proper than you really are; don't be snooty. People hate snooty." So, if our nose is higher in the air than it should be, which basically means we think we're better than someone else, we should take a minute to remember that it is not well received. Instead, be a person of authenticity who exudes the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Qualities that are always well received.

From 5 pounds to 5 years...

Jeremy and I had only been married 6 months when we found out I was pregnant with Jadin. After I told Jeremy the news... we slipped into a month-long coma of shock. What about our 5 year plan? How would we be able to afford a baby? Would we still fit in with our childless friends? I remember confessing to a wise friend at work my fears about having a baby and she said, "The one you aren't expecting always turns out to be the valedictorian." And she couldn't have been more right.

At 9:21 on the morning of 9/21, Jadin entered the world at 5lbs 12oz. He was born 4 weeks early due to preeclampsia, but he was perfect. And again, Jeremy and I sat, stunned. But, this time... our surprise came from the overwhelming amount of love we experienced for this 5 pound little boy. All of our anxiety about having a baby walked right out the door with our selfishness and parenthood fit like a glove.

Jadin is nothing short of the valedictorian in our lives. He is a 'first born' through and through and he has such a heart for Jesus. I am blown away by how rich and sweet Jadin has made our lives. He is something special... there is no doubt in my mind about that.

Although it seems like yesterday that Jadin fit into that baseball glove, time has marched on... And today... my baby is 5. I will always remember the day he was born because it changed my life for the better and it has only gotten sweeter.

Happy 5th Birthday to my Jade-bug!

Oblivious Exercise

A few days back, I pulled out a workout dvd that I do pretty regularly. Because Jadin doesn't take naps anymore, he decided to to join me in my afternoon workout. He was enthused and pumped up about his first workout. He went and made a couple of weights out of some toys in the playroom, found a mat and grabbed a bottle of water, just like me. I was amused.

On the first workout, he did windmills 3 times as fast as I could. Actually, he did most of the exercise moves presented at triple speed. On the second day of the workout, he took pauses here and there. By the third day of the workout, he laid on the floor and got up only twice for his two favorite moves: butt kicks and boxing. At the end of the third workout he said, "Why do you do this? It's kind of boring."

Isn't this how most adults go about a new exercise/diet plan? The first day: we're pumped. The second day: we are less enthused. And by the third day, we're ready to quit. I think Jadin exposed a valid reason as to why we do this: exercise is easier when it's fun.

Jadin is almost 5. He has abs of steel and not an ounce of body fat. Although he eats very well, he burns off any caloric intake with his active lifestyle. He never does jumping jacks or sit-ups but he enjoys life to the fullest and plays from the moment his feet hit the floor until it is dark outside. He exercises 10 times as much as any adult and yet has no idea he's doing it.

As adults, we can't run on the playground all day long, or play hide-and-go-seek until it's dark. We have busy lives. And as a result, our workouts get reduced to a dvd or some time at the gym that is really not all that fun. As of right now, there may not be much you can do to change this fact. But, I challenge you not forget the things you love that involve physical exertion.

For me, it's dance. I was a cheerleader from an early age through college. I taught lessons at a local ballroom dance studio. I danced. I ate as much as I do now, but never struggled with weight gain. Now... to lose a pound is hard work. Some of that could be due to getting older, but most of it has to do with not having the time to exercise. So, today... I am letting myself remember how much l loved to dance. In fact, I have a fantasy that Dancing with the Stars would do a spin-off called Dancing with the Middle-Class and I would get to be a contestant. ;)

What do you love to do that inadvertently involves exercise? Do you find time to do it? If not, I pray that God will open up windows for you to get some oblivious exercise.

Gauging Your Spiritual Tank

Fuel: It's something we know we need in order to get from here to there. Without it, we would all be more or less at a stand-still. And if you've ever run out of it, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

At 17, I had places to go and people to see. Stopping for gas was a nuisance and it always seemed to get in the way of my overloaded schedule. I pushed it until the last second. And one day, I was a second too late. In the turn lane of a busy intersection, my car just shut down. It was embarrassing, dangerous and just plain dumb on my part. Luckily, the music pastor from my church pulled up behind me right after it happened and pushed my car out of harm's way and my brother showed up shortly after with some gasoline.

It only takes once. Lesson Learned. Or so I thought...

Lately, I have been burning my spiritual fuel and neglecting to go in for a fill up. I spent most of the summer squeezing out every work hour possible that was not already reserved for taking care of three boys, a husband, cooking and cleaning. I have only taken 2 days off in the last 40 days. And the gauge on my spiritual life has been moving closer and closer to Empty.

I noticed that my blog had gone un-touched for over a month and since I just finished up my work project, I thought I would update it. However, the ideas were circulating in my head and nothing seemed to come to fruition. And then it hit me. My spiritual vehicle was starting to spit and sputter. I had nothing to pour out because I was just about to shut down. It's embarrassing, dangerous and just plain dumb on my part.

We all know better. And yet, many of us find ourselves running on empty or even worse- completely broken down. God is ready and waiting to renew and refill all of our spiritual needs.

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

#3 at 3

The 3rd child....my baby.... clicked over the clock to 3 months old yesterday. The up-all-nights are over. Good sleep has taken its place. And although we are more rested, I feel a little blue on just how quickly time has passed.

I think we have done well being in the moment with Dallas for all of his milestones. That is really all you can do as a parent. Catch all the smiles. Hold on tight for every hug. And treat time as a precious gift.

We thank God for such a tremendous blessing to our lives. Even though this is our third, we have never been more amazed by just how good God is.

Jeremy Turns the BIG 3-0!!!

One night you're 29 and then bamm.... the next morning you're a man in your 30's! Well, at least that's how it happened for Jeremy. :)

So, to ease the pain of this new decade, I gave him a special package last night that had 3 tickets for Six Flags over Georgia, 3 tickets to Atlanta Braves, a hotel stay and all the cash he may need. He was a bit perplexed as to who would be accompanying him on this little excursion. So, I let him know that two of his close friends, Wes and Brandon, would be driving in from NC to meet him in Atlanta this morning. BOYS NIGHT!!!

A huge thanks to Brandon and Wes who drove a long way to make Jeremy's 30th Birthday so special!

I love you baby!!! HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY!!!