Mean mommy

Pookie’s teacher told me that we have to work on her writing. Her writing is fine but she writes her letters to far apart, close together or some capital and some lowercase and they have strict writing rules at her school. She said she wants to be stricter on her this year because next year they will hand back every paper and make her re-do it if it is not up to standard.

So every time I try and help Pookie correct some of her letters, she breaks done in tears. I feel like the worst mother ever. I certainly don’t want my child to become a perfectionist. I was and it is impossible standards to live up to. I keep reminding her that I think her letters and words are lovely we just have to work on spacing and making our letters fit in the lines. I try to comfort her and compliment on how nice her writing is looking.

Writing of course is her weakest area and she does not care for it. She would rather read or do math but I remember as a child having trouble with my writing and my teachers pushing me and my writing is fine now. Of course I am not being graded on it, so maybe that is the difference. She has had trouble with her fine motor skills since she was two. Or at least that is when it was pointed out to me by her preschool teachers. Normally, I do not write on sensitive or private issues with my children but like the body odor post I think this could help someone out there or encourage me that I am not a bad mom.

Heaven

Our pastor preached the second half of his message on Saturday called Heaven. This was a wonderful message. I had a dream last year that I went to Heaven and saw my dad. He lived in a house and he was asleep. This was a comforting dream to me just to see him again. We talked for hours but in the dream I did not know what we talked about. I pray this message will inspire you too.

Heaven and Hell – Part 2

What do you think about Heaven? What do you think it’s going to be like? Have you ever given any deep thought to that? Very few people know what heaven is really like. Most people think of people and angels just kind of floating around in space or in the clouds, not really having anything to do. It sounds pretty boring. The truth is that there’s quite a bit more to Heaven than that. Most people don’t have a clue just how good heaven will be.

When I started studying Heaven, it was probably the most difficult, but fascinating study I’ve ever done on the Bible. The topic is so vast, that it is impossible to answer every question in a short space, but I would like to answer a few of the key questions. Then, I want to leave it up to you to dive deeper into the subject. (To help you in your own study, let me highly recommend one of the most thorough books on the subject: Heaven by Randy Alcorn.)

The Bible has a lot to say on the subject and that’s where we need to go first to find answers about Heaven. First, take a look at Philippians 1:21-23. Among other things, Paul says that Heaven is “far better” than anything we’ll ever experience here on earth. Think about some of the best experiences you’ve ever had in the earth, or the most beautiful places you’ve ever seen. According to Paul, Heaven will be far better.

God’s Word also talks about two heavens. First, there is the present heaven, where believers go when they die and which is described as paradise and a place of transition. (See Luke 16:9-26) When we die on the earth, our bodies return to the earth, and we pass into this temporary heaven in the form of soul and spirit.

Then there is the eternal Heaven, or second Heaven. The Apostle John describes this in the Book of Revelation (21:1-8). At the end of time, the old heaven and earth will be destroyed and there will be a new heaven and earth. Heaven will come down to the earth and we will live on the earth, but it will also be Heaven. It will be more beautiful than anything we can imagine. In fact, the earthly beauty that we see even now is only a vague, shadowy reflection of the splendor that will be. In this new Heaven, there will be no more death, sickness, suffering, sorrow, pain or any other evil thing brought about by sin and the curse. We’ll have new bodies in which we’ll be able to do things we can’t do now. Can you imagine that? It’s true! And, not only that, but we will be in God’s presence all the time, ruling with Him, learning, discovering and rejoicing! I want to go, don’t you?!

Here’s what we have to understand: after we die, we will all face two judgments. The first, which will determine whether we spend eternity in Heaven or Hell, is not based on works (what we have done) but on our faith. It is only if we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord that we will gain entrance into Heaven.

The second judgment, concerning our works, determines how we will experience eternity – what rewards we are given. Again, we are not saved by our works. BUT, our works give evidence to our salvation. If we truly have faith, we will do good works. Like the Apostle James said, “Faith without works is dead.” All of us will stand before the judgment seat to have our works judged and be given rewards. Therefore, it matters what we do.

Heaven is going to be unimaginably awesome! Don’t you want to go there? Certainly you don’t want to trade that for a little earthly pleasure now and an eternity of torment. I urge you, if you haven’t already done so, turn to Christ right now. God loves us so much. He doesn’t want any of us to perish. So, turn away from doing life on your own. Stop living only for yourself and surrender to Jesus. Don’t get all religious; just start walking in relationship with Christ, and tell someone about it who can help you continue to grow. If you will do that, all the splendor of Heaven awaits you!

Exploiting your kids

I was thinking about the Gosselins children as I watched the fourth season opener. I also watched this clip on CNN of the Gosselins.

In this clip a former child star Paul Petersen said something that caught my attention. He said, “children need secrets. They don’t need to live in a fishbowl. This is so true. I think about this when I am blogging about my children and my favorite mommy blog, ohmommy, said the same thing. I am very careful about what I discuss in regards to my family. I never want it to be an embarrassment to my children. The only personal thing I have discussed was in regard to my older daughter having body odor and the fear of her starting puberty at such a young age. I prayed about it and I wanted to help other moms or parents and it is one of my highest rated post since I published it. Moms everywhere looking for answers. In regards to the Gosselins, I don’t know the kids are getting older and I agree with this child advocate these kids need secrets. They do not need their life on display. I understand where Jodi and her sister are coming from. Her blog along with another blog, called Gosselins without pity is what captured CNNs attention (I am not positive but I think this blog may be penn mommy) Lots of people are concerned for the children. Truth breeds hatred had a letter from the surviving Dionne quintuplets to the McCaughey Septuplets. Read here for truth breeds hatred’s post on child exploitation including the letter from the Dionne children.

TLC released a statement in response to CNN broadcast which stated ” Because of the show, the kids and the family have economic security and the luxury of a mom who can stay at home and raise them.” I felt a little mixed in my opinions, what would I do if I had eight children? And my other question is should we be relying on our children to provide us income?

I have had so many people tell me I need to get my girls in commercials and magazines. We thought about it for two seconds but I did not want to put my girls out there. It was not for us. I don’t think there is anything wrong with putting your kids in magazines or commercials. My favorite mommy blog, ohmommy, does let her kids model for magazines and ads. She puts the money towards their activities they want to do. They pick their activities and camps. This is wonderful because the kids have a choice. In the Gosselin’s case, they are using that to live on. I think John actually quit his job.  I don’t know I think you are drawing a fine line here. What happens when the show is canceled? I pray they have a back up plan. I guess with the kids all in school now they could both go back to work. Do the kids even want to be on the show or is it just expected. I did hear Kate say as soon as it is not fun anymore they would stop. Would they? I think their intentions were ok in the beginning but when you are used to this lifestyle and fame why would you want to quit. It seems easier said then done. Also you are contracted with the network, I doubt it is that easy to just leave.

I just don’t think having your kids live their every moment in the spotlight especially those challenging moments is the best thing. When a child is an actor or in a magazine they can go home at the end of the day. In the Gosselin’s case, the set is their home. There is no escape. I guess I just really feel for the kids. Should our kids be our economic security?

UPDATE: I think with all that is going on with their marriage the show needs to be canceled. I don’t think Kate would let that happen. I think she would rather be divorced then give up all that she has. It is just very sad. My heart goes out to Jon and the children. You can see that Jon desperately wants his family back and despite what they think the kids know.

UPDATE 2: I guess I was right Kate did file for divorce according to the papers. The fact this show is under contract for 7 more years while all this plays out is appalling. Last night I did watch the special. They announced they were separating then it flashed they had just filed divorce papers. I almost cried. The fact they would just let a marraige fall apart with no counseling. I think they both played a part in this marriage failure but I feel the worst for those kids. What happens if the show tanks and they do not have all the money to continue this lavish lifestyle. It is just unreal.

Daddy’s smarter

Pookie asked me a question in the car the other night.

“Mommy, what is that thing with lines?”

” I don’t know Pookie. We’ll ask daddy.” I said.

She replied, “yeah he’s smarter.”

I chuckled. He is not neccessiarly smarter he knows more about some things. I tried to explain. The honesty of a child. I asked my husband and he said it’s a natural gas meter. I knew he would know. He is a book of knowledge.

Celebration

Our six year old went to the altar at church tonight in response to an altar call and asked Jesus into her heart. What a glorious day! It brought tears to my eyes.

Quote of the Day

I love this quote:

Sow a thought and you reap an action

Sow an action and you reap a habit

Sow a habit and you reap a character

Sow a character and you reap a destiny

Ralph Waldo Emersen

Professor B

A very nice and honorable man at our church that devoted his entire life to education has died this week at the tender age of 70. His name was Everard Barrett. He is from Jamaica and moved the the USA in 1955. I was privileged to sit in one of his three day seminars on teaching children mathematics. He developed his own program that is in all 50 states and around the world now. This program was developed because one of his sons was really struggling in math. As a math professor, he was able to reteach his son and his son went on to graduate at the top of his class. He is one of the sweetest, compassionate men I know. He truly had a heart and passion for children and learning and for people to come to Christ.

He will be missed!

Homemade Pizza

Since my girls are allergic to dairy, we do not have pizza very often. However I part of a group within general mills where I get coupons and free product to try. I just recieved their latest pizza crust from Pilsbury thin crust pizza. I love it. I can make homemade pizza for very cheap and my girls can enjoy pizza for the first time. I like the thin crust because you are not left with all the dough.

Here is what we put on our family pizza:

Crust (which I bake for just a few minutes before adding the toppings so it will not get mushy)

Prego spaghetti sauce (just enough to have sauce)

Pizza cheese (store brand) /no cheese for the girls or anyone who has dairy allergy

crumbled cooked ground beef

pepperoni

canned mushrooms

fresh broccolie

Then I bake and enjoy with my family!

It makes tons so you will have leftovers too. I love homemade pizza and it is very cost saving too!

Heaven and Hell Part 1

Our Pastor has started a miniseries on Heaven and Hell. He started off with hell. You don’t usually hear much about hell but it is a very real place. This is one of the best messages I have ever heard. It motivates me to pray for the lost and to get the message out there. The only way to Heaven is through Jesus christ. It is not through other gods, it is not through works and it is not for being a good person.

Please read this life changing message on hell:

Heaven and Hell – Part 1

You know, I can’t remember the last time I heard a sermon on Hell. Can you? Few of us ever dive deep into the subject. It’s such a negative thing; most people just kind of ignore the concept. When asked, people have a huge variety of views about what Hell, whether or not it exists, who goes there and why. A recent survey showed that while 74% of Americans believe in a biblical Heaven, only 59% of Americans believe in a biblical Hell. For each person who believes they’re going to Hell, 120 believe they’re going to Heaven.

But here’s the deal, Jesus said that the path to Hell is broad and easy. Many people tread that path. Conversely, the path to life is narrow, more difficult and relatively few people walk that way. While it’s become popular in our culture today to believe that there are many paths to Heaven, the Bible explicitly states that there is only one way: through Jesus. In fact, he said it himself, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, NIV)

In truth, our souls go on living forever after our earthly bodies have passed away. And, after we die, we will live for eternity in one of two places: in Heaven with Jesus or in Hell with the devil. It will be the decisions we have made during our earthly lives which will determine which one. Therefore, anyone who has a belief in God and in the truth of his Word has to seriously consider where they will spend eternity and the reality of both Heaven and Hell.

Because we so rarely give any real thought to these things, I thought we should spend a couple of weeks delving into what the scriptures have to say on the matter. This week, as you may have noticed already (and despite how unpopular the subject may be), is about Hell.

First thought: “Why did God create Hell?” The answer is very simple – Hell was never created for people. God never wanted any of us to go to Hell. Rather, God created Hell as a place of punishment for the devil and his angels who rebelled against God, attempting to usurp God’s throne before the creation of the world.

Hell is indescribably awful. Imagine never being able to see anyone or anything, never resting or sleeping, being utterly alone, feeling forgotten, living without any hope, being consumed with fear, being tormented and completely separated from God…forever. This barely begins to describe existence in Hell.

So, what happened that caused mankind to have to go there? Answer: Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, listened to the devil, disobeyed God, opened the door for sin to enter the human race and died spiritually. Because of their choice, each of their descendants (that’s you, me, everyone) has a bent toward sin and we cannot enter Heaven in that state. We are born on the path to death and Hell. Therefore, unless something changes, that’s where we’d all end up.

And now for the good news! God has the answer for sin and Hell: Jesus! Through Jesus we can enter into life. He came to buy us back from our sin by becoming a sacrifice for us on the cross. He took all our sin upon himself, died and then rose again in triumph over sin and death. He opened the doors of Heaven and offers life to all who believe. All we have to do is turn away from our sin, receive God’s forgiveness and surrender our lives to Jesus.

So, let me ask you this: Where are you headed? Have you surrendered your life to Jesus? If the answer is no, then I want to encourage you to face the reality of eternity. You cannot count on even one more breath. Don’t wait. Surrender now. Don’t spend even on more moment on the road to Hell. Choose life.

Second, if you’re one who knows that you’re on our way to Heaven, what are you doing to help keep others from going there? Those of us who know the good news have to share it with those who don’t. Wouldn’t every one of us want someone to save us if we were drowning or on fire? Then, how much more must we seek to bring the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to those all around us who are lost and going to Hell? We interact with people every day who are on the very threshold of Hell. Let that fact motivate you to share the Gospel with them. Be bold. Tell them about Christ. Bring them to Your Final Destination this week. Be intentional. God doesn’t want anyone to go to Hell, do you? Of course not! I urge you to live like it!

Huggies Overnight Diapers

I have been using Huggies Overnight diapers since Pookie was a baby. I have never had a one of the diapers separate in half before. Peanut woke up and I was changing her when I noticed her diaper separated in half and all the crystallized pee was all over her tummy, and legs. It was horrible. I had to strip her down and give her a bath just to get it to come off. It made the biggest mess. I don’t know if it was defective or what. There really was not too much pee in it. I have had them be much fuller and it never separated. If it happens again, I will have no choice but to not purchase these again. It is sad because this is the only brand that sells the nighttime diapers. My girls have always urinated a lot at night so regular diapers never held up much. I love the Huggies but it is not in our budget to pay for something that is a huge mess and defective.

Update: They are contacted me after sending a comment on their website. They were very prompt and nice and are sending me coupons for these diapers. I say awesome customer service. I guess it was just a defective one because no more have come seperated.