Just Asking for It

I hate to say this about myself, but I like to fight. Nothing satisfies that sinful urge to bicker like a good debate over something really volitile like abortion or the election, or spanking children, or home schooling or vegetarianism, or Christmas. Christmas?

I have been showing my claws a little lately. And much like a cat that can't decide if they are being stroked the right or wrong way, those talons have been out and retracted so much I just want to let loose.

In the last 5 years I have done a complete and total 180. I accepted Chirst as my Lord in 2005 and then my whole world got blasted into a million pieces and slung out into the stratosphere where I am now using The Guidebook to find each piece and put it where God intended it to be.

This is a process that has caused much a raised eyebrow to the people that have known me all this time - and before. My Mom isn't real sure what to say to me sometimes and sometimes she is sure that she needs to intervene.

So that brings me back to Christmas. I used to hate Christmas for entirely different reasons. I was poor and single and couldn't afford to do what is required by society for the season. I ended up standing in charity lines freezing my ass off to get a chance at some discounted toys with money in hand from a well meaning realative.

People talk about a personal relationship with Christ. Since I honestly have endeavored on this I truly feel like my personal friend, Jesus Christ, is extremely saddened to see us (and especially Christ followers) buy into the best marketed lie that Satan has ever perpetuated.

The "All I Want for Christmas" Lie.

Now let me stop some of you right there. The wisemen of the Gospel did NOT give gifts to Christ on his birthday. It was 2+ years before they even found the kid and they brought him the stuff then. Besides - if you want to subscribe to that notion as a reason for the material excess - then you should be down at the Mission and the Crisis Pregnancy Center and the Church giving them your money for Christmas.

Sigh.... See what I mean. Always out to pick a fight. I was convicted this morning of my sinfulness. I had received an email from my Mom calling me out on some rude comments I made. My first reaction was "Well, it's true! Why should I mince words and keep taking the hit?"

So I read that email at 5 when I opened my eyes, I went downstairs and did my miles for the day while watching Dr. Who and continued feeling sinfully indignant. Then something happened. While I was getting all prettified for work - I was reminded that Christ took hit after hit after hit for me and never said a word. Ouch.

And while I hold fast to the ideal that Christmas should be more about one special gift to symbolize the gift to the world that is our Saviour - I don't need to be mean about it.

Afterall - there is only One's who's approval I seek. Only One who I will need to answer to. Only One who I will need to justify myself before. And He sees how I act and what I do to defend Him, and was likely very dissapointed with me of late.

Whopper

Well, today I just haven't felt like eating right. I have a good dinner planned, a Moraccan Vegetable Stew over Whole Wheat Couscous. But at this point I need someone to help me clear my arteries out first.

It all started this morning when we didn't have any eggs. Normally, I make a couple of scrambled eggs in a whole wheat tortilla with a little salsa. It's a great breakfast that keeps me going until lunch time. We were out of milk as well, so cereal was out of the question. And...I ate my weight in peanut butter the night before. So...

I ended up at McDonalds for breakfast. Yuck. The last time I was pregnant, McD's was the ticket for my morning sickness cure. This time it's not working. About the time I realized that the undercooked hash brown was doing me more harm than good, I also realized that I forgot my lunch on the kitchen counter.

Which brings me to the Whopper. I can't say the last time I have consumed an entire Whopper sandwich. I am fully aware that it is nearly 800 calories and even without cheese provides triple my daily saturated fat allowance. But today I ate the whole thing. Not the Whopper Jr, no my friend the real deal - with fries, king sized.

Now I'm sipping on the most enormous soda pop on the planet and apologizing to myself and my youngest child for putting us through that. Man did it taste good though. Something about that mayo/ketchup combo mixed with the pickle that just tastes SO good. Dinner this week has sort of been an experiment and to be honest I'm sick of eating good for you food that doesn't taste good.

The fried tofu last night was the last straw - I needed a Whopper to wash my mouth out.

Buttons Down the Front

This morning I had one of my classic bouts with exhaustion. I went to bed plenty early last night - but this week I have really expended extra energy with deep house cleaning and home made food (mmmm pasta and fresh gargonzola sauce!). I got up to walk and pulled down the treadmill and bent over to grab my shoes when I just felt really dizzy. Getting up at 5 is hard sometimes so I normally just push through it - but today it was clear I needed to go back to bed.

So blessed be the digital age where I can just open up my laptop and send an email to the people that need to know at my work. I went back to bed and was awakened by the sweet sound of a 16 month old jumping up and down in her crib literally squealing "Hiiiiiii!!!".

It was really nice to make breakfast for the kids (oatmeal with real maple and dark brown sugar!) and see them off to school. I braided Alahnnah's hair for her and got to pick what Susan wore today. Daddy does fine, but opts for the sweatpants and the onesie most of the time. I chose one of the cute little one piece outfits in the newest box from eBay.

A one piece outfit for a toddler snaps all the way down the front and under each leg to make it easier to change thier diaper. Long about mid afternoon, Susan realized that she could unbutton herself.

I was on the phone with a good friend that I haven't talked to in a looong time when I noticed her doing it. Aww, that's so cute! Then I was talking a bit longer and hear the tape on her diaper go Riiip. So then I have a naked toddler screaming while I redress her.

We did this several more times. I wondered if I shouldn't just change her clothes but a part of me wanted to win. Just like when you redirect naughty behavior over and over and over and finally they go do something else, I thought that would be the case here.

Needless to say the child is running around in her diaper right now. Right before supper I figured what the hey. It was warm in the house as I had the oven and the stove top going and we were having rice anyway. If you've ever watched a toddler feed herself rice, you can understand why I just left her diapered and nothing more.

Besides, they are SO cute that way!!

Thank God for Work

I went home after work yesterday and simply attacked my son's room. He has a room in our finished attic. He actually has two beds up there and more space that any kid needs. Consequently, it gets cluttered. Little boys bring home all sorts of sticks, rocks and broken items that sit as revered treasure for a time and then fall off the dresser and litter the floor.

More than that is the issue of one terribly ignored parakeet whose cage has been in desperate need of cleaning – causing feathers and seeds to be strewn about. Those little feathers just stick to everything! I take full responsibility for this. I have not shown him how to clean the cage, each time it has been done because it had gone to long and I have just done it myself.

I started with the clothes on the floor. Liam did a good job of getting rid of things that he didn't love of play with anymore. I am a FlyLady lover and use her approach to my cleaning. Although, if I had used her system all along with his room it never would have been in such a state! Liam got everything out from under the bed and kept saying how dusty things were.

We stripped both beds and washed the bedding, cleaned that bird cage and dusted, swept and mopped the hardwood floors. After supper, the bedding was all dry (Liam put it from the washer to the dryer) and I made his beds. When he went up to bed, he came back down and thanked me SO much for helping him. It was a big dirty job and looked so great when it was done!

As tired as I was last night, when I prayed with the children I thanked God for work. It felt good to be of use. When it was all done I felt accomplished and like I had made our home a safer and healthier place. I was blessed and gleaned true satisfaction from a job well done.

Children (and adults) often look at chores and work as punishment. We often times feel under appreciated and over worked. And while in some cases that may be true, work is intended by God to be a blessing. The first chapter in the Bible is a play by play account of our Creator doing a job and creating the universe and everything in it.

John 5:17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

I don't know, some times I get lazy. God was really speaking to me thorough circumstance and the Bible that I need to stay on top of things and not tire. That work is good and while I may need to rest periodically, I need to be grateful for it and continue on to His Glory.