EMM: Get Tested

Out of modesty and my privacy, I won't go into details about this one. But if you've never been tested, you probably should be. You can go to the Every Monday Matters website and get more information about this week's activity.

Persevering Kindness

"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them." Lady Bird Johnson


The story today was about the early years of Anne Sullivan (of Helen Keller fame). The idea that I got from the reading was that we should never give up a child. No matter what they deserve our kindness...we just never know when our small act may be exactly what they need. The quote above really hit home. There is so much we are responsible for as parents and I just hope my children always know how much I love them and that I believe in them.


"As he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7

Family Vacation?

"Parenthood: that state of being better chaperoned than you were before marriage." Marcelene Cox

Having spent 4 days with both kids cooped up last week because of the ice and snow, I understood where the family in today's story was coming from. After spending their family vacation in the mountains, the parents needed a vacation without the kids. The kids enjoyed the time in the mountains, but the "vacation" was more work for the parents than if they had just stayed home. At this point I can't even imagine having a vacation from the kids. It was really hard to be away from Sophie for 2 weeks when we went to China. But, maybe a night or 2, with room service. Now that I could handle!

"The joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold." Nehemiah 8:10

Steadfast Faith

"The highest pinnacle of the spiritual life is not joy in unbroken sunshine but absolute and undoubting trust in the love of God." A. W. Thorgold

This devotion was about the woman who wrote the hymn "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" Louisa Stead. She wrote those words after watching her husband drown trying to save a boy. It also talked about Abraham's wife Sarah and how she didn't trust God to keep his promises. I struggle myself when having to wait. The wait for Logan was so long and not at all what we expected when we started the process. Obviously, I wouldn't change the timeline at all because without the wait, we wouldn't have Sophie or Logan for that matter. Thankfully, I had a wonderful prayer partner doing that wait who helped me to keep my faith in God.


"Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory has overcome the world-our faith." 1 John 5:4

EMM: Learn CPR

I have to be CPR certified for my job. So for the past 6+ years I have been through the training several times. Thankfully, I have never had to actually use that training. One of the things I remember from the first training was someone making the comment about how they were worried that they wouldn't remember what to do in case of an emergency. The instructor told us that what was really important wasn't that we did the correct number of contractions or breathed for the right amount of time. What was important was that we breathed for the person and pumped their heart...basically just do something until the professionals could step in. Knowing that actually helps me feel more confident in my abilities.

If you are interested in learning CPR, there's a new program called Family & Friends CPR that makes it so simple to learn the basics. Check it out here.

Daily Devotions 2011

One of my goals for last year was to spend time each day with a devotion. I didn't complete my goal last year (although I started often). So now I'm trying it again, but this time using this blog to help keep me accountable. My mom gave me a book called God's Devotional Book for Mothers. It has a 2-page devotion that can be read within a matter of minutes. No really, the first page is your typical devotion story, with a quote and scripture verse, and the second page varies. Sometimes it's a top ten list, others a small poem, book recommendations, or just a great quote. So definitely something that can be done when you just have a few minutes in between the craziness of motherhood moments. We'll start tomorrow.

EMM: Choose Canvas Bags

I have been trying to use reusable bags whenever I go shopping. Sometimes I remember and sometimes I either forget to bring them with me or leave them in the car. Duh! I have noticed that there are some grocery stores that are giving discounts for bringing your own bags (now that has helped with the motivation). Since I typically carry a big bag (combo purse and diaper bag), there are times I just tell them I don't need a bag and put it in my purse.

I do still get plastic bags occasionally but I try to at least re-purpose them, so that they do double duty.

I know reusable bags are becoming the norm. At our staff Christmas party, one of the teachers brought these really cute bags and plastic (reusable) cups. Now a day, going green can look good too.