She’s Deaf Baby

Just recently we have happened upon caring for a deaf boxer. My mom could no longer keep her.  So if you are interested in a deaf boxer or know someone who is let me know. Anyway, I have been trying to explain to Guin that Shelby can not hear her.  She loves the dog.  Follows her around and keeps yelling at her to come here.  She has tried to yell at her to sit down because she isn’t responding to her request. I have tried numerous ways to explain that the dog can’t hear her.

It occurred to me as I said “She’s deaf baby,”that I may not get through to her and this is a battle not worth fighting. I wonder as Christians do we give up on people who just don’t understand what we are saying about God? Just like my two year-old doesn’t have the understanding to understand the concept of deaf today, doesn’t mean that she won’t ever understand. There was a time when I didn’t understand faith. I wanted proof. I can understand that people may not be a time in their life that they can understand or are willing to understand faith and God. The leap of faith is too great today.

What I am realizing that today Guin isn’t going to get that the dog can’t hear her screaming to sit. I also get that there are some people who are just not at a place to accept or understand God’s love. I won’t give up on teaching Guin and I won’t give up on trying to share the love of Jesus with those that I meet

Change comes quickly!

So a few weeks ago, we had found out that the job that Dan had applied for had been given to someone else.  Both of us had felt that Dan was getting the job.  We had felt that God was prepping us for a move. We both had felt that this door was going to open for us.  Well last week, they started checking references.  By the end of the week, he had an offer and a start date of this Monday. The guy that they had originally made the offer to got a counter-offer from his current employer.  Since this job was with the same organization that Dan is already working with so they wanted him to start right away.

It is amazing how quickly things can change.  Dan is really getting settled in his job. The pay increase is good.  Now t0 the hard part. This new job is more than an hour of commute each way. So we will be selling our house. God blessed us with this house.  We got a great deal when we moved in.  We should be able to make a sizable profit.

So I am starting to work on getting all the rooms painted with a fresh coat of paint. We haven’t been able to get the landscaping taken care of so we will be working on that. The we were in the middle of remodeling the downstairs.  We need to finish the mud room, family room and the office. Once all these things are done, we will be ready to list.  Dan will commute until we sell the house.

Once the house is sold we will be moving to the Washington Coast.  I have always felt centered on the coast. I love being near the ocean.  The bonus the kids love the ocean. Last time we went to the ocean, Guin spent the day chasing seagulls. Other bonuses, we already know a few people from the church there. We haven’t been able to find a church home in our area. We are all really excited. We are so amazed at how God has provided!  It will certainly make me staying home less of a struggle. I am so thankful!

Likely you won’t be an NFL Superstar

As a mom, I had decided early on that I wasn’t going to propagate the lie that you can do anything you set your mind to. While there are many things that you can do with determination and gumption but anything?  Not likely. The fact is that I will never be a famous singer that is a timeless classic. The fact is that God just didn’t give me the gifts I would need to do that. Can God overcome that? Sure but he made me like I am and well he clearly liked me just as he made me or he would have made me different.  So parents come with me. Let’s stop lying to our children. I would also like teachers, Sunday school workers, youth group leaders and Pastors to stop the lie with me.

My daughters are amazing. God made them so different from one another. I am pretty sure that they aren’t destined to be NFL superstars. How many woman NFL superstars do you see today? I am sure that at some point that may change but women in the NFL will more than likely be a kicker in the beginning. That being said, they were given gifts that God gave them. I tell my oldest often, that you need to find your gifts and operate in them. She is smart and can run pretty well. She also has quite a bit of artistic talent. So she has things going for her. The little one is clearly going to be the boss, she may one day rule the world. I would have never say that about the oldest.  It just isn’t in her wheelhouse.

Now that we have hit the preteen years, I also have to deal with the envy of other peoples talents. I always tell her to celebrate when her friends are good at things. We don’t need to resent others for their gifts. God made them that way. I view it as my job to find her gifts and guide her in the best ways to use them. While I want her to try hard and learn that somethings will take hard work and dedication, I also want her to know that she has limits. That it is okay not to be good at everything she does.

While you may have a child that will be an NFL superstar or the next pop sensation, be happy to have a child that is operating in the gifts God has given them. We won’t all be famous but we will all make a difference in other people’s lives. So let your children know, there is no shame in being a next generation accountant, cook, nurse, mom, dad, auto mechanic, artist, singer, writer, bookkeeper, insurance broker or well anything that celebrates who they were made to be. Help your children be comfortable in the mold God gave them not the mold you have set in your mind for them!