They say there are three seasons in the Mid West: Fall, Winter and Construction.
We are in full construction season around these parts.
And, when you're trying to get around town it certainly feels as if everywhere you turn you are met by lane closures or detours.
There are days when trying to get from point A to point B can be overwhelming.
I don't know about you, but it sure can feel that same way in my life sometimes.
I have a goal-a destination-in mind. A place where I need/want to get to. And, I don't just want to get there, I want to get there the easiest, quickest way possible.
But, often the journey is much longer and more complicated than I expected or planned for.
So, what do I do?
Do I throw my hands in the air and pitch a fit because this trip isn't going how I want it to?
Do I vow never to leave my house again, because it's just to hard?
Honestly, yes some days I react those ways.
But, if I'm fussing the whole way, or don't even start on the trip, I miss more -even through the detours and slow moving traffic than I would by not taking the trip at all.
So, right now, at this stage of life-in this point of my journey-I'm choosing to just take joy in the journey.
There are days I don't recognize the roads I'm on, and I don't know how I'll arrive at my destination by taking this particular detour, and the trip seems to be taking twice as long as I'd planned for. . .
But, I'd much rather trust the Designer of the Detours than plow my way through a 'road closed' sign.
It's not always easy. I can't always see far enough ahead to know what's holding me up on this journey. However, I have learned that having faith and confidence in the Master Designer will get me farther along than I ever could on my own.
How about you? Do you ever set out on a trip expecting one route only to end up on another?
I'd love to hear about your journey.
One thing I do know, God never sets up 'construction' or a detour just to make things difficult for us.
It may be to slow us down, to get us back on the right course or to teach us to trust Him along the way.
I've learned-not always the easy way- to put my trust in Him, than any map I could plan out for myself.
Blessings from the road,
After the grueling months of hard work at school, summer vacation has come and we couldn't be more excited.
We are a family of traditions-and those don't stop during the summer. We have many of the same ones your family does, and some silly ones that only mean something to a Wilkinson, and then we have what's become one of our most looked forward to.
Our Summer Word.
We take a word and that becomes our focus for the summer. Some days we intensely focus on the word, somedays it's more in the background, but it's there everyday in some capacity.
Over the years we have used such words as; kindness, obedience, respect, and service.
I was just so extremely excited to unveil our word the other night at dinner. For several weeks I was having trouble coming up with a word. Some ideas would pop up, but I just didn't feel like they were the one. But after some conversations with my kiddos and their friends, and lots of prayer over the matter, I really felt that the Lord had impressed this particular upon my heart.
So over dessert and a drumroll (If you haven't guessed by now, we kinda make a big deal out of things at the Wilkinson house) we unveiled our Summer Word.
We asked the kiddos for ideas of what they think that word might mean, and they had a some great ones: Build up, support, cheer up.
We talked about the Apostle Paul and the amazing journey's he took, but how he needed support and encouragement from people like Silas and Barnabas. And how when people think of us, wouldn't it be great if the first thing they thought of was, man they love Jesus and then next, boy they are always an encouragement to me!
The Hubs told the kids the could picture encouragement as 'pouring courage into another person'.
Wow, that struck me in such a powerful way.
So, that's what we are attempting to do as a family this summer. Pour courage into each other to be exactly who God wants us to be, and knowing it's always safe at home, to be exactly who we are.
I would love to hear from you if your family has a summer word or focus and what that is, or if you decide to implement this at your house for the first time!
Now I will encourage you-Be who you are, even when you think it's not enough, God says - "I created you and you are more than enough!"
Romans 15:2 (NIV) Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.
Blessings,
We are a family of traditions-and those don't stop during the summer. We have many of the same ones your family does, and some silly ones that only mean something to a Wilkinson, and then we have what's become one of our most looked forward to.
Our Summer Word.
We take a word and that becomes our focus for the summer. Some days we intensely focus on the word, somedays it's more in the background, but it's there everyday in some capacity.
Over the years we have used such words as; kindness, obedience, respect, and service.
I was just so extremely excited to unveil our word the other night at dinner. For several weeks I was having trouble coming up with a word. Some ideas would pop up, but I just didn't feel like they were the one. But after some conversations with my kiddos and their friends, and lots of prayer over the matter, I really felt that the Lord had impressed this particular upon my heart.
So over dessert and a drumroll (If you haven't guessed by now, we kinda make a big deal out of things at the Wilkinson house) we unveiled our Summer Word.
Encouragement
The idea behind the word is that this world can be a very difficult place, and while we may be REALLY REALLY good at building our friends and those around us up, sometimes we are quick -VERY QUICK at tearing each other down, or OURSELVES.
We want our home, our family to be a safe place. That each person can be who they are-and that is enough.
We talked about the Apostle Paul and the amazing journey's he took, but how he needed support and encouragement from people like Silas and Barnabas. And how when people think of us, wouldn't it be great if the first thing they thought of was, man they love Jesus and then next, boy they are always an encouragement to me!
The Hubs told the kids the could picture encouragement as 'pouring courage into another person'.
Wow, that struck me in such a powerful way.
So, that's what we are attempting to do as a family this summer. Pour courage into each other to be exactly who God wants us to be, and knowing it's always safe at home, to be exactly who we are.
I would love to hear from you if your family has a summer word or focus and what that is, or if you decide to implement this at your house for the first time!
Now I will encourage you-Be who you are, even when you think it's not enough, God says - "I created you and you are more than enough!"
Romans 15:2 (NIV) Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.
Blessings,
Drumroll please. . . .
Gayla Mckinney
Can't wait to share this CD with you!
Thanks All, for commenting, sharing and getting the word out.
Happy Weekend,
Today was my kiddos last day of the 2013/14 school year.
There was much rejoicing and shouting from the rooftops-and that was just from me!
Here are my littles in all their happy field day glory
There was much rejoicing and shouting from the rooftops-and that was just from me!
Here are my littles in all their happy field day glory
 |
| Ending a Fun Day with Popsicles |
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| Buddies! |
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| Wild Fun Bunch of 4th Graders |
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| Jude and his teacher that brought out the best in him this year! |
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| Friends Forever |
No pics of my big boy, because. . .well because it's not nearly as fun getting your picture taken as you head off to finals. But, trust me, he too is relived that school is done for the year. (grin)
We took the kiddos out to dinner tonight to celebrate, then Sister and I went and got pedicures while The Hubs and the Monkeys went to see Spiderman (Girls totally won that one!!).
But, I wanted to do something fun here on the blog too.
You need a prize for all those lunches packed, math facts drilled, homework checked, science projects completed!
You did it-maybe not well all the time, but I'm pretty sure you probably never sent your kid to school naked and at some point in the day provided them with food and love-even when it was hard.
So, here's to summer break!
I downloaded Michael W Smith's latest CD, Sovereign, last week and I cannot.stop.listening.
(If the only thing you know about MWS is his song Friends from the 80's you're going to be extra pleasantly surprised-it's modern and worshipful and just so very good)
As I was listening again the other night, it occurred to me that at least four of the songs on this album will be sung in churches across the world for years to come. And the song, Sky Spills Over, is one of the finest I've ever heard.
So, I want you to have a copy too! (no one is sponsoring this giveaway-I just feel that strongly about this CD!)
You can check it out here: http://michaelwsmith.com
Here's what you do to win.
1) Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite hymn/worship song.
2)Share it on Facebook
3)Share on Twitter
4)Like my Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lessons-From-Aisle-12/131073366948344
5) Follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/Momx3inKC
(Must be in the Continental United States. Contest Ends May 23,2014)
Let me know which ones you did-the more you do, the more chances you have of winning!
Contest ends Friday at 8pm, then I'll randomly draw a winner.
Oh I can't wait to share this great music with you!
Happy Entering!!
Well, I unexpectedly took a little bloggy break.
It's the end of the school year and with everything that comes with that, life happened and ran me right over me, top that with a computer that had to go visit the 'genius' guys at the Apple store and well you have a bloggy break that lasted much longer than I would have liked.
If I would have found the time to write last week, I would have written about how Mother's Day can be difficult for so many for all different kinds of reasons.
I would have told you about the year I basically had to run out of the sanctuary and was sobbing by the time I reached the lobby and how the year after that I didn't go to church on Mother's Day.
I would have written about how God heard those prayers and longings of my heart and choose to say "Yes" to them-not just once, but to bless me with 3x more than I could have asked or imagined.
How each one of my children has a unique perspective on life and has taught me so much about life and living and learning to cling tightly to Jesus.
Perhaps you can relate to some of those thoughts and emotions?
But now almost a week as passed since Mother's Day.
And while I have no hard data on this, my very uneducated guess would be that at least 75% of American mothers receive some type of flowers for Mother's Day. Whether it's from the spouse, kids or even passed out church or the restaurant where they and brunch.
Now almost a week later, those flowers are fading.
I don't know about you, but we no matter how our backgrounds may differ, I am guessing we are similar in many ways. After all the highs and lows of motherhood has a way brining even the most unlikely pairs of people together.
And just like those flowers, perhaps you find the joy in you mommyhood fading as well.
Whether in the throws of sleepless baby nights and spit up down the back of shirt, not even sure when or if you'll get a shower today.
Or a screaming toddler in the middle of Target, while others look on judging you, as if their child would never do such a thing!
The elementary years when they are beginning to find their wings and you're trying to figure out 4th grade math. Trying to fit in with the other Mom's and feeling like that awkward junior high kid again.
Once everyone is in school, do you go back to work or join the PTA? Or do you still stay a stay at home mom feeling like you have to justify your choices to everyone who asks you 'so what do you do'.
Or maybe you have a high schooler, and the countdown in your mind as begun of when they'll leave the nest and everything you have to teach and tell them between now and when they do.
Of course, you have to be able to do that between raging hormones, driving lessons, a social life that rarely includes you and closed doors with your teenager hidden behind it.
It can make a girl feel tired and worn and question everything about herself and her calling to motherhood.
And in the end, if you let all those voices and circumstances take up residence in your heard and in your soul, you can become just like those week old flowers, faded and limp and not bringing much joy to anyone anymore.
Let's face it, motherhood truly is the hardest job in the world.
Acknowledge that fact.
But, don't let that consume you.
It is a privilege as well- one not given to all who desire it either.
If God can use a mother to help shape the heart and mind of her children, don't you think one of Satan's best tools is to convince the mother she's doing it all wrong, her job doesn't really matter and she's really making no difference at all.
As we look at our piles of laundry this week, meals to be made, homework to push though, lessons to be practiced, car pools to be driven, bathrooms that need cleaning, instead of beating ourselves up that we're not doing it right or we're not doing enough or that no one in our families really understands all we do for them-what if we embraced those challenges?
What if we understood we were doing those things not just for our children and husbands but for God himself?
What if we let go of the unobtainable goal of perfection that haunts so many of us and just accepted our flaws and the flaws of our children?
What if it was ok to be a mom who didn't have it all together all the time.
What if we spent time with the one and only perfect parent pouring out our hearts dreams and desires for our children, and then instead of picking them all back up and trying to carry them around ourselves, we left them there. Right there at the feet of Jesus.
I don't think we would be so faded anymore.
Life may not be any simpler or easier, but the burden wouldn't be ours to carry.
One of the hardest things, I think, for a mother is to learn to let things go.
What if that is what God is calling us to do?
To trust Him enough with the little souls He has given us to stop holding on so tightly we become no good to them or ourselves.
To trust Him enough, that He truly did equip us with everything we need to parent these children of ours.
Through slammed doors, hormonal outbursts, hurt feelings and all.
What if when we could summon enough courage to do all those things, we found that with Him we truly were enough.
I think we would shine instead of fade.
Face to the sun, ready to face the next challenge.
Blessings to you all from the front lines of Mommyhood,
It's the end of the school year and with everything that comes with that, life happened and ran me right over me, top that with a computer that had to go visit the 'genius' guys at the Apple store and well you have a bloggy break that lasted much longer than I would have liked.
If I would have found the time to write last week, I would have written about how Mother's Day can be difficult for so many for all different kinds of reasons.
I would have told you about the year I basically had to run out of the sanctuary and was sobbing by the time I reached the lobby and how the year after that I didn't go to church on Mother's Day.
I would have written about how God heard those prayers and longings of my heart and choose to say "Yes" to them-not just once, but to bless me with 3x more than I could have asked or imagined.
How each one of my children has a unique perspective on life and has taught me so much about life and living and learning to cling tightly to Jesus.
Perhaps you can relate to some of those thoughts and emotions?
But now almost a week as passed since Mother's Day.
And while I have no hard data on this, my very uneducated guess would be that at least 75% of American mothers receive some type of flowers for Mother's Day. Whether it's from the spouse, kids or even passed out church or the restaurant where they and brunch.
Now almost a week later, those flowers are fading.
I don't know about you, but we no matter how our backgrounds may differ, I am guessing we are similar in many ways. After all the highs and lows of motherhood has a way brining even the most unlikely pairs of people together.
And just like those flowers, perhaps you find the joy in you mommyhood fading as well.
Whether in the throws of sleepless baby nights and spit up down the back of shirt, not even sure when or if you'll get a shower today.
Or a screaming toddler in the middle of Target, while others look on judging you, as if their child would never do such a thing!
The elementary years when they are beginning to find their wings and you're trying to figure out 4th grade math. Trying to fit in with the other Mom's and feeling like that awkward junior high kid again.
Once everyone is in school, do you go back to work or join the PTA? Or do you still stay a stay at home mom feeling like you have to justify your choices to everyone who asks you 'so what do you do'.
Or maybe you have a high schooler, and the countdown in your mind as begun of when they'll leave the nest and everything you have to teach and tell them between now and when they do.
Of course, you have to be able to do that between raging hormones, driving lessons, a social life that rarely includes you and closed doors with your teenager hidden behind it.
It can make a girl feel tired and worn and question everything about herself and her calling to motherhood.
And in the end, if you let all those voices and circumstances take up residence in your heard and in your soul, you can become just like those week old flowers, faded and limp and not bringing much joy to anyone anymore.
Let's face it, motherhood truly is the hardest job in the world.
Acknowledge that fact.
But, don't let that consume you.
It is a privilege as well- one not given to all who desire it either.
If God can use a mother to help shape the heart and mind of her children, don't you think one of Satan's best tools is to convince the mother she's doing it all wrong, her job doesn't really matter and she's really making no difference at all.
As we look at our piles of laundry this week, meals to be made, homework to push though, lessons to be practiced, car pools to be driven, bathrooms that need cleaning, instead of beating ourselves up that we're not doing it right or we're not doing enough or that no one in our families really understands all we do for them-what if we embraced those challenges?
What if we understood we were doing those things not just for our children and husbands but for God himself?
What if we let go of the unobtainable goal of perfection that haunts so many of us and just accepted our flaws and the flaws of our children?
What if it was ok to be a mom who didn't have it all together all the time.
What if we spent time with the one and only perfect parent pouring out our hearts dreams and desires for our children, and then instead of picking them all back up and trying to carry them around ourselves, we left them there. Right there at the feet of Jesus.
I don't think we would be so faded anymore.
Life may not be any simpler or easier, but the burden wouldn't be ours to carry.
One of the hardest things, I think, for a mother is to learn to let things go.
What if that is what God is calling us to do?
To trust Him enough with the little souls He has given us to stop holding on so tightly we become no good to them or ourselves.
To trust Him enough, that He truly did equip us with everything we need to parent these children of ours.
Through slammed doors, hormonal outbursts, hurt feelings and all.
What if when we could summon enough courage to do all those things, we found that with Him we truly were enough.
I think we would shine instead of fade.
Face to the sun, ready to face the next challenge.
Blessings to you all from the front lines of Mommyhood,
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