being mommy

Coffee For Your Heart: On Grace and Yoga Pants

February 5, 2014 by Mel · 30 Comments

It’s five a.m. and I have to be honest here…

This morning is not looking good already.

I’m sick…boo for the world’s fastest-hitting cold/flu/junk. Scratchy throat yesterday turned into a fever, coughing, and being up a lot of the night. I am hoping and praying that means this thing is just moving its way through my body that quickly, too. There’s always hope, right? 😉

To add to it, T is out of town and though his plane is supposed to get in this morning, I’m looking at the snow falling and wondering if he just might get an extra day in warm, sunny, WARM (did I mention that?) 😉 Arizona. (If I wasn’t sick, I might be tempted to pray that he’d get just that.)

And my sweet girlie woke up scared of the monster in her closet not too long ago, and even through a half-dazed stupor, my momma heart just broke. All I could do was comfort her and lie down with her for a minute.

Today is not promising to be the best day…in fact, it might be the kind where I never find the shower and I stay in my yoga pants, the ones I’ve slept in for at least the last two nights. 😉

And I have to be honest with you, friends…too often, I let the circumstances of my moments dictate my days.

We are starting off rough. Rough. And there are certain things that aren’t just going to go away.

Colds happen…grab the tissues, embrace the yoga pants, and sneak in a nap while she watches PBS.

I can’t stop the snow from falling. Give thanks that it’s a beautiful view, pour the coffee, and let go of the fact that the shoveling might not get done today.

My girl drifted back to sleep, at least for now, and I know she’ll be fine. Thank you, Jesus, that monsters in the closet can be chased away by tough and determined mamas with really, really CRAZY bedhead.

Sometimes days are hard.

I’d love….loooooooove…to start each day after eight hours of sleep, followed by a morning run, blog post scheduled the night before. And while we’re at it, let’s throw in a patient mama, an obedient toddler, and a perfect husband.

Oh, I love them, but that’s not life.

And when days like today roll around…Grace. Heaps of it.

I’m looking at the clock, and I know my girl will probably sleep for at least another hour. Time for this mama to rest.

We don’t have to be anywhere. She loves a jammie day…and what a bonus with a beautiful view. Maybe we’ll make hot cocoa, too.

And if T doesn’t make it home today, we both have cell phones. Plus there are a few friends I haven’t chatted with in a long time. It would be fun to catch up.

I don’t know where you are today, friend. I hope you had some great sleep and are ready to conquer the day with a cup of coffee in your hand and a smile on your face.

But maybe you’re feeling the way I am…and if you are, know something. There’s grace. Don’t be afraid to do what you need to…and know that He’s going to get you through it.

And remember, too, that a day spent in yoga pants is perfectly acceptable. 😉

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I love my sweet friend, Holley‘s, new link-up! Her Coffee For Your Heart: 2014 Encouragement Challenge is just what it sounds like. Think of Wednesdays as that day where I just share some encouragement…and you can pretend that we’re sitting at a table over coffee, just sharing life. Sounds like a great way to spend Wednesdays in this space. I hope you’ll hop over and join us!

You can also get her fabulous new book here!

Filed Under: being mommy, encouragement, just life, Maelie, Tobin, where I am

Behind the Scenes: Bless the Mess

February 4, 2014 by Mel · 26 Comments

I’ve never pretended to be a neat freak.

In fact, those of you who know me, even somewhat well, are laughing right now. 😉

I wouldn’t label myself a slob…it’s just that I definitely flirt with the cluttered side of life sometimes, and I think there are days (weeks? months? YEARS?) that go by when I don’t even notice it. 😉 That might be, too, because it’s so much how my brain is All. The. Time.

Seriously, friends? I feel Sooooooooo. Scattered. Lately.

I can’t believe how much, some days, my head feels like it’s just spinning at a rate I can’t even comprehend.

I even made REAL to-do lists…that’s kind of (mostly) unheard of for this girl. 😉

The other day I was looking at this picture I snapped…the one of the flowers my hubby brought home…and I realized how much MESS there was surrounding what was supposed to be the focal point of the picture.

Ay, ay, ay.

Do you ever feel like this picture?

I have to admit that when I first saw it and took in the mess, I kind of shuddered.

But then…well, I started to see beauty in it.

Beauty like…

…flowers. Well, duh. 😉 Because gerbera daisies are my favorite, and he knows that. I’m loved. And blessed.

…a wipe-off board. One my three year-old is using to practice her letters. Her little brain is soaking it all up. Blessed.

…a sweet photo from Chuck E Cheese. Memories of a day with my girl that was so much more fun than I could have imagined.

…a water bottle from workout a few nights before. I’m healthy, strong, and able to push my body hard. Blessed.

…a stack of books and my Bible. There’s so much out there to learn, so many ways He wants to grow me. Blessed again.

…a winter wonderland outside. Granted, I’ve had it up to my faux hawk 😉 with snow this year…as most of us have. But when I look out and see a beautiful view and am reminded of the blessing God gave us in this home, well…I know I’m blessed.

…a Compassion envelope on the table containing a letter from our sweet, sponsored child in Indonesia, Putra. Thank you, Jesus, for the blessing of being able to pray for him and to be part of His life. I’m the one being blessed here.

And, as I’m processing the millions of blessings I’ve been given?

I look closely and see the words printed on the vase, the one my hubby picked out of the cabinet.

Grateful for simple blessings.

It’s true that life is often messy. Whether the mess covers the dining room table, the living room floor, or just resides in a busy life or dreams that are All. Over. The. Place… 😉

There have been days lately…a lot of them…when I can’t quite figure out the mess.

When I look at my dreams and I have no clue where they’re going or what they look like.

I see them changing in ways I wasn’t expecting.

I see a rough draft that has been almost-untouched for months.

And I wonder what He’s doing in all the mess.

And maybe I don’t know the answer to all of that, but I do know that I can trust where He’s going when I don’t.

There are so many blessings. SO. Many.

Even in the beautiful mess of the unknown.

I need to count them more often.

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Linking up with two of my favorites today!

On Tuesdays, I hang out with some of my favorite friends at Crystal’s place, where she hosts Behind the Scenes.

Behind the Scenes” is a fun link up where we show those photos – but tell the real story behind them. The sneak peek behind the scenes, a look past the edges of the photo to the real life behind it.

And I’m also linking up at God-Sized Dreams, with my favorite dreaming sisters!

I hope you’ll join us for the sweet, sentimental, and silly stories that make up our days…and our dreams.

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My sweet friend, Holley, who has blessed me so much with her heart, her words, her life…she’s releasing her new book today! (And it’s soooo good!!!) Would you join me in cheering loudly for her?! And you can buy it here, too. 😉

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, being mommy, blessings, encouragement, God-Sized Dreams, just life, Maelie, where I am

Behind the Scenes: On Messes, Hot Cocoa, and a New Bed

January 28, 2014 by Mel · 26 Comments

I admit it: I’m not always that mom. You know, that mom.

The one who will let her daughter create messes with abandon and then dance around the room, cleaning them up after her.

Oh, we have fun…just not the pudding-on-the-walls, glue-all-over-the-table kind.

I try to be messy-fun, I do…sometimes. I even offered to let her finger paint last week and she turned me down.

No joke. 😉

But lately…well, I’ve tried to be better about the mess factor.

She’ll help me make her peanut butter and jelly (or Nutella or fluff) sandwiches or bake cookies.

She’ll spread her play-doh mess all over the dining room table, and I just smile. (And play along because play-doh really IS fun.) 😉

We set up a whole camping scene in the living room last week with lots of blankets and had a total blast.

And, lately…she loves hot cocoa. LOVES it.

And I sometimes-cringe because the chocolate doesn’t just streak her face…it streaks her clothes, the table, and everything within ten feet. This picture shows a little of the mess, though I didn’t get a really good shot. Trust me…she’s chocolatey. 😉

But the funny thing is that, this past Saturday when she was having her daily dose of cocoa-goodness, I didn’t even think about the mess this time.

Instead, I thought about the fact that she sat at the table, drinking out of a REAL MUG, looking like such a big girl.

She’s growing up.

And then, to crack this mama’s heart just a bit more…at that very moment, Tobin was upstairs putting this together.

Yes, my friends, you are actually seeing this.

Cutie patootie toddler, adorable purple butterfly bedding, and big girl bed. BIG. GIRL. BED.

I am not sure I even know what to do with this, and we’re on night #3. (With couch cushions propped on the floor in case she falls out.)

I so badly…SO badly…wish for a pause button. In fact, I kind of just want to stomp my feet in protest, wrap her in my arms, and never let her go.

Because, you know, THAT will stop the passage of time. 😉

And then I take a deep breath and remember (for the millionth time) that time doesn’t stop, and the best thing to do is just enjoy the ride and live the dreams of today.

Embrace every moment, every mess, every bed jump, every hot cocoa stain…because every single one of them are gifts.

Good, messy, wonderful gifts.

And maybe that’s just a good motto for life…take what comes and embrace it fully, no matter what it looks like and no matter what we wish it could be.

Take every season as beautiful…even the ones that include big girl beds and mama tears that spill over just a tad. Remembering to give thanks to the Giver, too…because the gifts He gives sometimes come wrapped in a bit of heartache mixed with joy, but they’re still good gifts.

Let’s dance through it all, sweet girl…and let’s make a few more messes.

Because there’s no one I’d rather dance with…or mess up the house with…than you.

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Linking up with two of my favorites today!

On Tuesdays, I hang out with some of my favorite friends at Crystal’s place, where she hosts Behind the Scenes.

And I’m also linking up at God-Sized Dreams, with my favorite dreaming sisters!

I hope you’ll join us for the sweet, sentimental, and silly stories that make up our days.

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, being mommy, blessings, family, God-Sized Dreams, just life, Maelie, what I'm learning, where I am

For When Your Dreams Are All Over The Map

January 22, 2014 by Mel · 2 Comments

She splashed around the pool, princess kickboard in hand, two plastic mermaid dolls perched on top.

I watched, smiling, as her three-year-old imagination took off, and soon she and her friends were sailing away for the adventure of a lifetime. Yes, my toddler hasn’t yet figured out that mermaids can’t survive on a boat.

Ssshhh…don’t tell her.

A few minutes into the dialogue — the part that goes beyond her usual, tell-me-about-your-day — she delves into the dreams.

Let’s all sail around the world together! It will be an adventure!

And I continued to watch with what was probably the goofiest smile ever plastered on my face.

Her three-year-old dreams…they were So. Big.

Yet, in her mind, the So. Big. translated to the Completely. Possible.

Oh, the lessons I can take away from an afternoon spent in the pool with my sweet daughter. She was convinced at the time that she could sail the world with those two mermaids if she wanted, and nothing would stand in their way.

____________________

A dreamer too, I was so like my daughter as a child.

I’ve had dreams brewing in my heart for as long as I can remember … ones that reached oceans beyond my small town. And, in my young mind, there was no reason they wouldn’t happen…

Today I’m over at God-sized Dreams, sharing a piece of my dreaming journey. Join me, won’t you?

photo credit: Nicolas Raymond

Filed Under: adventures, being mommy, encouragement, God-Sized Dreams, just life, Maelie, remembering, Tobin, what I'm learning, where I am, writing

Coffee For Your Heart: SO. Loved.

January 15, 2014 by Mel · 32 Comments

I’m the momma to a sweet little girl. (I think most of you know that by now.) 😉

I spend my days laughing with and loving this wonderful, energetic, burst of sunshine…one that my Father knew our family needed.

And most of the days we spend together are truly wonderful…there are games and playing puzzles and laughing and usually singing. Listening to the Frozen soundtrack over and over. Dress-up and dancing. Furniture leaping when I turn my back.

😉

And, yes, she’s wearing a Halloween shirt.
After Christmas.
Because, you know, she’s THREE. 😉

But then there ARE those days, too.

The kind when age three takes over and the stubbornness (from both sides!) comes in, and we struggle.

Yesterday afternoon was one of those times.

I had things I had to get done in-between the fun of our day…and one of those things was our Tuesday, God-Sized Dream, prayer meeting over Google Hangout.

The routine is usually the same…Mae gets to pick out a longer show or movie, something that will keep her occupied while I’m doing that. And most of the time…most…it’s a good plan, and it works.

But yesterday, there must have been something in her apple juice. Seriously.

In the background of the phone call, she was howling.

I’m not talking the laughter kind of howling…I’m talking the wolf kind.

Ow…OOOOOOOHHHHHH! (That sound is really hard to put into actual letters.) 😉

I tried to gently hush her, and for the most part, she listened and went back to watching My Little Ponies.

And then…and not kidding here…just as I’ve uttered about TWO words of a prayer, she comes up to me. Yanks on my arm.

I gave her hand a little squeeze and tried to keep going.

But she keeps pulling, and I pause to look over.

She’s rubbing her belly…this annoying thing she’s started to do when she wants a snack. Which is like All. Day. Long. I’m convinced that toddlers want snacks all the live long day.

I shake my head no, but she’ll have none of it.

And as I try to go back to prayer, she hits my arm.

At this point, I have to excuse myself from the prayer and step AWAY from the camera.

After scolding her for hitting me, I take her into the kitchen to try to find something to get her through the last minutes of prayer time. Thinking she wants an apple or grapes, I go for the fruit.

No, mommy. I’m hungry!!! Can I have a Hershey’s kiss?

Really, child? You pulled me away from prayer time FOR. A. HERSHEY’S. KISS.

Those words may-or-may-not-have escaped my lips.

But at that point, I was more concerned with getting back to prayer time and keeping her happy (not necessarily my finest parenting here…) and so I obliged.

Miraculously, it worked for awhile.

Later when we’d finished prayer, and I’d hung up, she came over to me.

Mommy, I love you. I just want to be close to you. And she wrapped her arms around me.

And as we grabbed hands and went back to playing together, I thought of how blessed I am to be loved by such a wonderful little girl.

Yes, there are belly-rubbing, Hershey’s-kiss-begging, just-plain-bad, parenting moments…but there’s still love. Forgiveness.

And the deep desire to just be close.

Yesterday my sweet girl reminded me how much she loves me, even on the days I mess up big time.

And that was such a sweet reminder to me of how much my Father loves me, too, in spite of me being me, in spite of the times I mess up, even on those days when I don’t show the love I should to Him.

Friend, you are loved.

SO. Loved.

Remember that today.

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Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, coffee, encouragement, just life, Maelie, uncategorized, what I'm learning, where I am

Behind the Scenes: Ballet Dreams

January 14, 2014 by Mel · 20 Comments

Yesterday I took her to ballet for her first-ever class.

Gotta admit that, even before we stepped out of the house, she’d already melted my heart with her sweet dancing around the living room as she tried out her new, black, sparkly leotard and borrowed shoes. (Amazon decided not to deliver hers on time…so thankful for friends who have danced this road before us.)

Mommy, I’ve always wanted to be a ballerina! Thank you!

Of course, she is THREE.

We’re not signing her life away just yet…but for the last year, we’ve known that ballet was something she wanted to try, and so we patiently waited until she was old enough.

We arrived at the class a little early, and her slight-timidity kicked in just a bit. She hovered back for a second and grabbed onto my leg, so I walked her over to a little bench where she shed her yoga pants and socks and put on those sweet, little pink shoes.

That was all the magic she needed.

It was time, and she was ready to go.

Time to begin chasing her dream of being a ballerina…however long it lasts.

I think back to my own dancing days, and those were over in just a year or two. Not really my thing.

And dancing might not be her thing either…but it might be.

And because we can and because Mondays are open and because we want her to have opportunities, and we want to let her dream…ballet it is.

And as I looked at the mass of pink and sparkles that gathered together in the room in the form of sweet little girls, I thought about how dreams so often start out just as my sweet little girl’s dream did yesterday…

Just that. A day to begin and to chase it.

We’ll cheer her on, however long it lasts, even if it’s forever. (Or, more likely, not.)

And if her dream changes down the road, we’ll buy those drums (heaven help us) or set up an area for her to paint pictures, pay for those singing lessons or spend hours writing stories together.

There are so many dreams out there, and I love…LOVE…that the world is wide open to her.

And as long as her heart is open to her Father, there’s nothing He can’t do in her life.

No dream that can’t come true.

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Linking up with two of my favorites today!

On Tuesdays, I hang out with some of my favorite friends at Crystal’s place, where she hosts Behind the Scenes.

“Behind the Scenes” is a fun link up where we show those photos – but tell the real story behind them. The sneak peek behind the scenes, a look past the edges of the photo to the real life behind it.

And I’m also linking up at God-Sized Dreams, with my favorite dreaming sisters!

I hope you’ll join us for the sweet, sentimental, and silly stories that make up our days.

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, being mommy, God-Sized Dreams, just life, Maelie, where I am

Five-Minute Friday: See

January 9, 2014 by Mel · 20 Comments

Today I’m linking up with Lisa-Jo for Five-Minute Friday. So, grab a timer, set it for five minutes, and join me!

The rules: Write for five minutes. No editing, revising, overthinking, or backtracking. Just write. Then leave some comment love for the person who linked up before you…and anyone else because that’s the fun and the heart of the community!

Today’s prompt: See

I hear it a million times a day.

See, Mommy? Look at her beautiful dress!

Look, Mommy! I can jump! (Insert leap from couch to chair…something she’s technically not supposed to be doing…) 😉

I need the light on, Mommy…I can’t see!

Will you play princesses with me, Mommy? Look, here’s Rapunzel!

There are so many times in a day when my daughter asks me to look. She wants me to see.

Granted, she is three years old and at that age…the age that begs for attention and time and more attention. Pretty much all day long. 😉

And the truth is that, most moments, I’m more than happy to give it.

I want to be near her, seated on the floor criss-cross-applesauce, seeing the world from her vantage point…one filled with storybooks and songs, dancing and furniture leaping, and lots and lots of pony-and-princess playing.

And, often…Mommy, look. Here’s the next story in the Bible. Can we read it?

And so we sit down together and read from her Storybook Bible or talk about the last story, and I realize how blessed I am to see the faith in her heart as it continues to grow. She’s learning, she’s understanding…

She’s beginning to SEE.

And it’s beautiful.

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, Five Minute Friday, just life, Maelie, what I'm learning, where I am

2014: Restore

January 1, 2014 by Mel · 35 Comments

Warning: This turned into an intense, heart-spill. Thanks for reading.

Hi, friends! Happy New Year!

And, yes, I’m blogging three days in a row…which hasn’t happened since, like, 2012.

And now that you’ve picked yourselves up off the floor… 😉

Restore. My word for 2014.

I’ll get to that in a minute. It’s one that has caused more wrestling and wondering and tears before I even chose it as my word for the year.

But let’s back up and talk about Dream for a minute.

It was my word for 2013…and, in every way, the safe choice for the year.

I was already part of the God-Sized Dream Team.

Already in the thick of dreaming and surrounded by so many other dreamers.

It just made sense.

Oh, there were parts of it that were challenging, definitely, and I don’t regret my choice at all. In all of the dreaming, and the hard part…doing, God did incredible things…opened doors and opportunities. 2013 was definitely a dreaming journey, one that has changed my life forever.

But, today…and this year, Restore.

It was supposed to be Create.

You see, that’s the word I wanted. It’s something I love. A word I had planned on making my focus for the year because it’s so easy for me.

To pull out the paint and a canvas and splash art.

To pick up my hook and yarn and make something cute that I’d rather not pay $30 for in a store. Or to make a cute hat for a friend.

To frustrate myself through the roof with my Rainbow Loom, but somehow make a cute bracelet. Yes, I bought one. It’s fun. And completely addicting…and, yes, I promise I am 35 years old. 😉

Creating…it comes naturally. And it’s easy.

But God said something different this time…and, ironically, He said it through a painting. (And a whole series of events that make up an incredible account…I’ll be sharing that soon, but not today.) 😉

He said it through this.

Restore.

I will restore you. Your marriage, your heart, your emotions, your confidence, ALL of it.

You see, I paint a word mural in this space.

While I keep it real most days, unless you know me intimately, you don’t know the brokenness that resides in this heart.

Some of it is my own doing, some of it isn’t.

But regardless of the source, there are pieces of me that need to be restored. Not fixed completely…but at least brought back to a place of being able to shine Him again, even if it’s through cracks.

Our marriage…it’s hard. We are night and day, sunshine and rain…and looking for the rainbow. I know it’s there, and I remind myself of that daily as, sometimes, we try desperately to hold on. The Truth is that we are working to make Him first again. I’m not sure how it happened, but somewhere in the last eleven plus years, we became more me-me-me, and less Him-Him-Him.

Pray for us? Please?

My mommy heart needs to be restored and reminded daily of the blessing I have in my precious daughter. Most days I know it and feel it and the two of us dance it out like the crazy, fun girls we are. 😉 And others…the ones when my period is late or I’m cramping horribly…well, I focus on what I don’t have. Will you pray that God will restore my heart? And because I believe in being real…and also because so many of you are my family…here’s the deal. Really.

And I want you to know it.

We’re focusing on us and our sweet girl. There’s no trying right now, and I’m ok with that. We are hoping a few months down the road that we’ll be in that place again, but today, we’re not there. It’s been a source of me needing to let go of my perfect family ideal…which didn’t include kiddos who were four or five years apart. (If that.) And yet, here we are.

And I long to be ok.

And there’s also a deep desire for freedom and restoration of my past…situations that left me broken, empty, and almost unable to go back to the place that was my home for so many years.

The truth is that, right now, I can’t go back without a pit in my stomach, a hardness to my heart, and tears brimming on my eyelids.

I hate that it’s that way. Hate it.

And I know that ONLY HE can Restore it and somehow glue back together the pieces that fell apart so long ago.

I mean it when I say that it’s almost become easier to live broken than to live Restored.

But I long for it…and He has spoken it.

Now, I need to obey it.

So, Father, please Restore…whatever it is that needs to be restored in me. Make my heart new, make it long for You, make it shine You again. I know You can and You will.

God gave me a verse recently…and, ironically, it popped up as the verse of the day yesterday. But maybe it’s just another little whisper from Him that He’s got this.

This…THIS…it’s my prayer.

My hope.

My promise from Him for 2014.

See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

Restore 2014. He Will.

And, thank you…to each of you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being willing to walk this journey with me.

That makes you my friend, and I love you for it.

***Linking up at Circles of Faith and the One Word 365 community today.

Filed Under: barefoot, being mommy, encouragement, family, God-Sized Dreams, Maelie, marriage, Tobin, what I'm learning, where I am

Just a Chat (with Coffee)

December 20, 2013 by Mel · 4 Comments

It’s one of those mornings…oh, don’t misunderstand me. I love a good Friday morning. (Especially when it comes with coffee, and it always does.) It’s just the kind of morning where throwing out confessions feels freeing.

Don’t judge...sometimes it’s just good for the soul.

Confessions like, I haven’t vacuumed the kitchen floor in two, give-or-take, days. (Black kitchen, golden retrievers, you do the math.)

Ahem.

Or, that for about the thirteenth time this week, I jacked up the heat three degrees and am sitting on the heating vent in the kitchen, snuggled under the most amazing, sherpa-lined blanket ever, thanks to a fantastic Christmas party/gift exchange. I’m a sucker for an awesome blanket…I kind of never want to crawl out from under it. 😉 (And, while we’re talking about blankets and heating vents, I am fully expecting a heating blanket for Christmas…that’s kind of a serious confession. And maybe a little hint.)

😉

Or, I could somewhat-embarrassingly confess that I don’t want to wash my hair today because the faux hawk my stylist gave me a couple days ago is awesome. (Though I rock it nowhere near as well as the beautiful Crystal.) 😉 And yes, I am posting a selfie. I promise I am not one of those people…I just am today. 😉

Or, that I completely feel like a Christmas shopping failure. Even though I’m finished. I have managed, TWICE now, to buy the wrong size in a certain gift for my hubby. The first time, I guessed the size wrong, and the second time, I bought the right size. (Or so it was marked.) Got it home…and, WRONG. Can I just tell you that I really don’t want to go back to the mall? Ugh. (No picture…we need some actual surprises in our house on Christmas morning.) 😉

And though it might not fall into the confession category exactly, I’m gonna take a little bloggy break until after Christmas. I want the next days of this beautiful season to be spent with my little family, my church family, and my friends…focusing on the real Reason we celebrate. I have to admit that it brought tears to my eyes today as I watched my daughter acting out the Christmas story with her little people. Such sweet, precious moments, and I don’t want to miss any of them. Oh, she melts my heart, even on the super silly days.

Golly, I love her.

But be sure to stop back by around the 30th because I have something cool…or maybe more than cool…to share with all of you.

I kind of can’t wait…I’m so thankful to God for all He’s doing, and I can’t wait to tell you all about how one of my big dreams is coming true. Now I know you’ll come back…haha! 😉

Until then…

Merry Christmas, sweet friends!

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, coffee, family, God-Sized Dreams, hair, just life, Maelie, where I am, writing

Five-Minute Friday: Reflect

December 5, 2013 by Mel · 29 Comments

Today I’m linking up with Lisa-Jo for Five-Minute Friday. So, grab a timer, set it for five minutes, and join me!

Today’s prompt: Reflect

I talk about her a lot lately, this girl.

Maybe it’s because we spend our days…and most of our moments…side by side.

I truly feel like I blinked…maybe an extended blink, but a blink nonetheless…and she is nine days shy of three and a half.

A mini me in so many ways, even if she looks more like her daddy. 😉

But I am oh-so aware of the little mirror I have following me around…reflecting everything I do.

Oh, sometimes it’s awesome…when we dance through the living room together or surf on the couch. (Sssshhhh…don’t tell!) When we share chapstick and powder and wear bracelets together. Once in awhile we’ll sit down at the piano together and play. (Or, pound? ;)) And sometimes we even dress alike because we can.

Most of the time, I love that she wants to reflect what she sees in her mommy.

And, yet, there are those days, too…the ones when she pops out a word she’s heard me say, one that slipped and never should have reached her ears. Or when the impatience spills over and becomes a raised voice…and she returns it, sometimes even more loudly.

I don’t love that…because I know that the mommy she’s mirroring isn’t reflecting Her Father.

This mommy thing is hard…I dance through the sunshine and daisy parts of it, but sometimes there are tears, too…and not just from her. Fear that I’m messing it all up.

I have to give myself grace…and pray ever day that He’ll help me to reflect Him so she can, too.

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, encouragement, Five Minute Friday, just life, Maelie, what I'm learning, where I am

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Mel

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