~NotAccidental~

People can be complicated, messy, and difficult.

But.

They can also be full of love, the biggest blessing, and a real example of support and community.

Today, I experienced the latter.

You first must know, that yesterday morning, neighbors lost their house to a fire. When I say "lost their house", I mean, in the matter of a couple hours, there entire house was burned to the ground, only the rock front face left standing. Total loss.
I witnessed the victim's immediate neighbors being right there, helping in every way possible. Our pastor wheeled in and stayed until the husband was able to get back to be with his wife as they watched  everything they own be reduced to ash.

Fast forward almost 24 hours later.

My morning started off more chaotic than usual.

The kids and I found ourselves wheeling through Chick-fil-a about 8 minutes before I was due to be at our carpool drop-off spot for my middle two, which was to be followed by a scheduled drop off for my eldest.
There was no time to be spared.
I was coming in on a wing and a prayer.

Drive thru order completed.

I pulled ahead a bit, pausing just at the rear employee exit.

"Pass me my purse, please.", I said, as I turned to grab it from whatever little hand was passing it up.

"SHOOT! Oh man! I left it at home!……THAT'S why I should never take my purse outside of the car!! I leave it!"

think fast…..uhm….okay, I'll text Glen. 

(I swallow my pride and grab my phone to text our friend, who also just happens to be the owner/operator of the best Chick-fil-a in five states.)

Glen, are you at the store?….  I text.

A nano second after I hit send, (before he'd received it)
I glanced to my left, to see him at the employee entrance.
He throws his hand up and calls,
"Hey Stacey!", as he turns to go back inside.

In all my pathetic-ness, I holler,
"GLEN!! I need a favor!"

By this time, I'm laughing, because it's all so ridiculous.
At this moment, I am the epitome of spastic mom.
His happy, go lucky self, hops out to my car, as I attempt to explain:
"I am on the way to school and to drop Jake off at his overnight jr. high retreat. They haven't eaten, are starving, and I forgot my purse. Can I please get my order and I promise to bring back the $14 I owe you?!!"
True to form, he quickly obliges my grotesque craziness and insists that I let the store treat us.

A little later, he shoots me a text and says,
"hey. I'm not connected to the folks who lost their house yesterday, but if chicken will help, let me know."

I forward that info on to my friend (an immediate neighbor of the loss), she talks to them, and in turn, relays the message, "they really want some Chick-fil-a sweet tea!"

Another hour goes by, I'm back at Chick-fil-a, meeting a friend for lunch.
I walk in, there sits Glen, with bags of food about to be taken to the folks at the burned house.

He would have nothing to do with my paying for my accidental free breakfast, which, drove me crazy, so all I knew to do was to buy my friend's lunch! ……AND I got her precious, chubby cheeked baby an ice-cream…..and am pretty sure I made a friend for life.

Forgetting my purse
Accidentally pausing in front of the employee entrance
Accidentally glancing over at the exact time Glen was sticking his head out the door
Accidentally getting free breakfast,
Glen blessing the fire victims with a free lunch
My returning the favor by buying my friend's lunch……

Not a bit of that was accidental.
It was the absolute working of my heavenly Father
all to remind me that He is at work
in this mess of humanity
to demonstrate His love and compassion for us.
…..even in our spastic mom moments.

I'm so thankful tonight.

~stacey

~PreschoolRocks~

My favorite Emma-isms about pre-k:

"Mommy, I am so excited da go to preschool."
"Oh! I didn't know my person is a Auburn fa-an!" (her teacher)
"I like preschool because dey have cloud scissors" (scalloped edge scissors)
"Are there going to be nice kids there? Are there going to be bad boys there?"
"Now can I wear dis dress? YAY!"
"I want veggie straws, a cheese stick and yogurt for my snack"

Avery on the left, Emma on the right.

Four years have gone by in a hurry.

~Time really does fly~

 

~stacey

~WhatWeAreDoing~

This morning was a first for this school year.

...I didn't want to throw my phone across the room when my pretty, soothing, but nonetheless irritating harp sounded at 6:26 a.m..

That, my friends, is what you call progress.

We are settling into a good rhythm. 

Math, for my 7th grader is EASY right now. (can I get a hallelujah?)

My precious 3rd grader has had practically ZERO stomach issues for weeks, now. 

My 5th grader.....well....she just keeps on bee-bopping along to her own little happy tune.

My baby, despite a scary fall and slight concussion, is healthy and happy. Thank you, Jesus.

Business is booming for the husband, and grandparents are here and always helping.

I'm a busy, grateful Mama tonight.  Yes, my tongue is hanging out, and no, I do not  know what's going on past right now, but that's fine. 
...one moment at a time.
I am a carpooling fool.
I'm learning to examine my motives, when to say yes....and when to say no.
I have about decided that teaching my kids on the days they are home exposes more junk in myself than anything else. 
We are refined in the fire.......and let me just tell you, teaching your own flesh and blood, the little bundles of mess that came from you.....teaching them anything... will flat put you through fire. 
man, oh man. 

We are busy schooling, toting, flipping, dancing, twirling, racquet swinging, guitar strumming, crying, laughing, and growing.

 ~stacey

~LayingItDown~

"Christians who have given themselves into the care and keeping of the Lord Jesus, still continue to bend beneath the weight of their burdens throughout the whole length of their journey. 
By burdens, I mean everything that troubles us, spiritual or temporal. 
First of all, the greatest burden, the most difficult thing we have to manage in life is self-
daily living, 
feelings, 
special weaknesses and temptations 
that worry us and bring us into bondage and darkness. 
You must hand yourself and all you are over into the care and keeping of your God, and leave it all there. Then rest, trusting yourself to Him, continually and absolutely.
Next lay off every other burden: health, reputation, Christian work, houses, children, business, and servants.
It is generally easier to commit our unknown future to the Lord than to commit the present. 
…'When I take my burdens to Him, I leave them there. If worry comes back, I take it to Him again and again until at last I forget I have any worries and am at perfect rest.'"
                                                                             -"The Christian's Secret To A Happy Life"
 
                                                                                            Written by Hannah Whitall Smith

I'm bathing in this for the next week or so.
I want to be suffocated by this truth and rejoice in the fact that God pointed me here in the midst of my jumbled, messy thoughts.
I don't have to sit and stir in a stupor over why I did this, why I thought that, why I struggle with this,  why I'm dealing with that.
I simply can lay it down.
Lord, You know this is in me but I don't have to stay stuck in it.
I lay it down at Your feet.
Every minute of every hour if necessary.
I am your child…..not bound by what I used to be but free to give you my junk and live in the freedom of being the child you created and love.

"I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain."

~stacey

~TemporaryInsanity~

I'm not guarded.

There.

I said it.

For any of you who might wonder……there is the truth.

I'm not silly.

I'm not caddy.

I'm not always super chatty…..which maybe that comes off as guarded. 

But I'm not.

Sometimes I'm quiet.

Sometimes I have a lot to say.

I get energized being alone….which technically makes me an introvert, I suppose.

I'm busy with my family but I LOVE people.

I love mamas especially.

If I could genuinely encourage someone every single day, I would die a happy woman.

I LOVE my babysitters. (past and present….you know who you are!)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my real friends. (old and new)

I crave REAL, AUTHENTIC people.

I don't care if you fly a freak flag.

If you are REAL, I have a box for you.

I can handle unique and different.

This is embarrassing to post but I feel compelled.

Perhaps I'll delete it in the morning.

Maybe I'll blame my brazen boldness on the fact that we start to start school in the morning and frankly, I feel like one of those cartoon characters that are being dragged and their feet are so dug in that they end up knee deep in the dirt and are practically on fire from the friction.

Yes, this is a moment of temporary insanity.

Nevertheless…..here it is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow is Monday and I'm ready for it.

This week, school starts, and I'm ready for it. 

I am BLESSED beyond measure to love people and serve my family this week. 

Get to it, Mamas!
Quiet, reserved, 
talkative, social, 
not so social, 
introvert, extrovert, 
working away, working at home,
calm, hyper, 
high energy, low energy, 
morning person, night person,
……be who God created you to be and don't apologize for it.

I don't know all of you  but I would love you
…..I'm sure of it.

~stacey