Have ever had a day where you messed up over and over again? I mean, you just couldn’t seem to get your groove on.

We had a day like this yesterday.

Tatum was up earlier than usual, and instead of letting her sleep a bit longer, I went in and got her up.

We spent the first 30 minutes of the morning in the Word. I read our devotion, then I grabbed my Bible as Tot played. She noticed that I was reading, so she grabbed her Bible and we sat together; Tatum and me…enjoying Jesus. Pretty darn cool.

This start of the day thrilled me, and I knew it was going to be an incredible day!

Or was it?

Around 9:30, Tatum decided to do the exact opposite to what I said more than once. Hmmmm. My voice raised a few octaves and I felt myself reverting to a broken record of “Don’t do this..Don’t touch that…” Yuk. Obviously, this was not effective, and I know better, yet, I was flustered and she could tell. In the past, redirection or positive talk like, “Not for Tatum, but this Tatum can play with” worked. (And it still does) But, again, we just were not jiving, Tot and me, not communicating well at all. Whose fault was this? Mine, yet I let it influence my attitude.

She had to pull a few more hiccup moments that day, and I had to raise my voice a few octaves higher, but in the end, at the end of the day…..

We made Lemonade. (virtually that is)

Those darn lemons can be so sour. The aftertaste can last and last, unless you wash it down with some grace and some love. HOW?

Well, first, before bed last night, we prayed together, and we talked about the day. We do get angry..both of us. But we need to work on handling it better (me too!) She has every right to try to exert herself and challenge boundaries, but she also has the duty to be obedient. It’s a learning curve for me in how I handle the moments that she does challenge those set lines and rules.

Making lemonade with Tatum is what we do everyday. Messing up and trying again is all part of parenting and all part of being a kid. It’s all part of being HUMAN! The grace given to us by our Father who showed us HOW is the model I choose to follow. Tatum can learn to see that Jesus is her role model in what obedience looks like (i.e. we show love by obeying the ones we love!), but more importantly what LOVE really means.

 

“Life is beautiful…fleeting heartbeats, fleeting health, fleeting time… It all happens in a flash and blur…It’s a bit like the perfect sunset. For just a moment all time stops and we catch a glimpse of something so indescribably beautiful….And then it passes. And all we are left with is a warm memory that glows softly in our minds and replays and reminds us to be ready for those moments because they only come by every once in a while. Just enjoy the moment….The sunset….Before it passes.” Adam Lee.

Today, I received an email from one of the most dear people in my life, and she had shared this with me. One of her student’s little sisters passed away within 5 days of finding out she had a brain tumor.  F..I..V..E DAYS. Five days!? I cannot even fathom how instantaneously things can change.

Reading this, I realized how much I do not savor every moment. Do we take things for granted? We do when things are just going “fine.” Every day is special if you let them be that way.

Here is my reminder of that: I like to listen to talk radio while I drive. I feel like I can always learn something, and I like to make the most of my time. Blah..How “Type A” of me. Today, Tatum (now facing forward so she sees everything I do and can express every opinion with her passionate little voice) requested, “Jesus song?”

Not wanting to change my exciting talk show about something or’nother, I reluctantly switched to KLOVE. You would have thought I gave her a pink baba and a cheese stick! She was dancing and singing. The moment almost passed me by due to my ‘usualness’ of being in my little routiney rut.

Tatum and I sang to Jesus and worshiped together. After so long, the excitement overtook her eyes, and she was out.

Now, I could change the station back to my financial/health/news ( or whatever was on) show…or, I could continue enjoying the moment with Him. What do you think I chose?

Savor the moments. Time is ticking away faster than you can say Hickory Dickory Dock.

Thank you Tatum for teaching me this today.

Thank you for my email, dear sister.

Thank you for my life and my family Jesus.

 

 

The concept of HELP is being illustrated in Tatum’s life. She has continuously learned this term from her books, namely her The Little Engine that Could book. When we read this I stress that the red engine sadly STOPPED and needed HELP. Three choo-choos came by and would not HELP. Then, hooray! The blue choo-choo HELPED because it was so “nice.”

The idea of helping another was shown to her the other day at the park. We were in the middle of playing on the slide, tunnel, and climber, and POOF! This lovely girl named Olivia popped into our moment and offered to help Tatum up the climber. Tot hesitated, and after encouragement from me stressing Olivia wants to HELP you, she agreed.

Olivia even offered to have T slide down on her lap! They both had such fun playing together.  Olivia had to flee from our lives too quickly. Her grandmother stood nearby, and I had to approach her telling her how wonderful her daughter was to Tatum. It was a win-win. Olivia felt needed, and Tatum felt loved. And, it was not me!! She allowed to be helped and felt like that little red engine.

We spoke about Olivia all night about how nice she was to HELP. Feeling grateful, Tatum relished this feeling. I wanted her to camp on this feeling because being grateful for others helping uses a great lesson in how Jesus loves us. Olivia had no agenda; she just truly wanted to HELP. Soon, Tatum can model this HELP for others and pay it forward allowing others to be grateful.

Hands HELP and those hands then can HELP other Hands. A chain of love; giving, taking, giving, taking.

 

Every company I have ever worked for and every affiliation I have been associated with has a mission statement and core vales for which they stand. They are simple to remember yet stand for something not easy to attain yet require true commitment and dedication.

Mission statements explain an “organization’s purpose and direction.” They keep the “group or the team” with concise and motivating vision for the future. (and they keep the teammates inspired to be a part)

Core values guide behavior and choice. They help with making decisions and being true to self. 

If one is true to the statement and value, then the culture within the company is forward moving and focused (and happy I might add because all have a part of making it so)

Why should families not have the same thing?

I just finished reading a blog, “Three Core Values to Teach Your Kids” by Pam Farrell, and this is exactly what her family did. They had ONLY THREE (to keep it simple) Core values they wanted their kids to embody and embrace and each is supported by scripture. These were prayed over since their children were infants.

These are what they chose:

• Learners. Those who want to compete in life so they are willing to do the hard work to learn and become excellent.
• Leaders: In their sphere of influence using their own unique leadership style we desire they be difference makers that lead rather than follow the crowd.
• Love God: We want them to own their own faith and walk out their own personal relationship with God.

Annually they had a “Learner and Leader” Day to negotiate privileges and responsibilities, pick a trait to work on  and celebrate what they had accomplished. On that day they also had a contract for each child with a verse and a trait. This way they knew what the family stood for!

They created a “family crest” to visually represent these values. I love his she says that she wanted “the source of all their hopes, dreams and desires to come from God’s heart. We believe if a child, tween or teen develops a vibrant relationship with God, it will be easier for him or her to sense where God what life path God created for them to walk.” 

I am now an a path to create this before the new year. This is what Pam says to do: “What do you want your family to be known for? What are your core values, those 3-4 traits you want your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to possess? See if you can draw a moniker, a crest, filled with symbols to explain the values you cherish most. Then select a verse, just a few words to use as a motto. Print it, post it and pray it to keep centered on the things that matter most in life!”

The three she chose speak to me, but I’m not settled on ours yet. This will require a heart check and lots of prayer. I want this to be Tatum’s pride and joy…..her family.

 

 

What makes a girl smile?

which I find on the floor, in a hamper, on a shelf (removed from her head)

or

????

Thomas the Train

But the color PINK meets TRAIN…and she is purely pleased. Rosie the Train is the free-spirited, fun train.