Thursday, December 30, 2010

I AM ANTI Laundry Sorting & PRO Kid-Free Zones!




Saying that I DO NOT sort laundry is only partly true. I do separate the laundry SOMETIMES, but most often than not an underwear here- a sock there, no worries. This only becomes a problem when iPod's and personal electronics are left in pockets- or the occasional cashmere sweater. (Which eventually becomes the BABIES cashmere sweater-but hey-stylin' baby!)

The reason why I feel compelled to divulge this information, is to draw a light to an otherwise "perfect" seeming life. I do not remember to brush my teeth every night, I do not always sort the laundry, and more-often-than-not I have asked when glancing in the fridge "How long has THAT been in there?"

For a long time these types of stereotypical mom-faux-pas plagued me with insecurity. After all my "Mom", "Grandmother", "Best-friend" seemed to have it all together- why not me? But then again-what is perfection anyway?

Perfection to me is having a house appear magazinesque. I understand that this is totally unrealistic- but it is something to strive for, eh? At least I am looking for a room that when people walk into it Elmo doesn't fall from the ceiling, or Cookie Monster (covered in cookies) doesn't stick to the floor! Am I looking for a room with sans kids... hmmm... perhaps so. Having 5 children however, this is becoming harder and harder to do!

A few posts ago, I had mentioned turning the dining room into the playroom... well that lasted all of a week! Now we have turned our secondary bedroom into a playroom/daughters room. So all the toys have congregated OUT of our living space THANK GOD!

See, I think MOST moms neglect to give themselves a "kid free zone". (Isn't that what the tub is for? OH WAIT that has duckies and naked Barbies in it!) What you need.. MUST HAVE... is a zone made JUST FOR YOU. Yes, my living room now is calm and relaxing again! NO TOYS, NO BINKIES. Does the occasional Thomas the Train leap the playroom fence- yes- but a parents sanity is so much more important than having "happy children".

Children with zero discipline = whinny, complaining, grouchy I WANT IT NOW kids. Kid Free Zones enforce discipline, and create a warm and inviting space for you to relax when the day is done, so that maybe your laundry can get sorted properly... MAYBE!

You can become a fan of Wholehearted Ministries on Facebook @:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wholehearted-Ministries/75471627683

You can follow Jessica on Twitter @: http://twitter.com/imwholehearted


PS.. This is NOT a picture of my living room! LOL

Friday, December 17, 2010

It's ALL About Daddy... ALL the Time!




I tried giving up Diet Coke for awhile, it didn't last.

The point to today's blog entry ISN'T that I drink Coke (diet), but that I (like everyone) have routines and habits. Some I am trying to break (like brushing my teeth at night-COME ON GIRL-DO IT!), and then there are habits that are established, and are great things to do. I think the number one positive habit that I have, is my ability to drop everything I am doing for myself in order to do something for my husband-when he asks me to do it. (Crazy thought-I KNOW)

Every morning at (XYZ:30), my children come and bounce into our king-sized bed. There are moments that I am so tired, that I don't even notice, and I wake up face-to-face with a three year old or bottom to bottom with a four year old. Kids that sleep anyway BUT parallel! They are perpendicular sleepers AT BEST.

This week a friend was asking me, "Jessica, how do you stay focused during prayer time?" It was a great question, and it led me to wonder... Do I HAVE prayer time? Gloria Copeland says that we should pray an hour a day, and I so admire people who can do that. (Hindsight-I guess if I wake up BEFORE the five kids do, maybe I COULD pray for an hour too...hmmm) But then on the flip side- Jesse Duplantis (another fab preacher) says he "never" prays, but he talks to God ALL-THE-TIME. I have always been of this sort of person. Thinking, talking, and communicating with God via constant communication. This has taken some time to be confident in doing, but I have learned.

You know how I learned how to do it? I established the habit by putting my husband #2 (next to God alone) in my life. Everything I do-I do for him. I have made the habit of cleaning the house for daddy, putting on make-up for daddy, dressing for daddy, and being 100% present for daddy. Pretty much-unless I am doing something for God-it is ALL about daddy ALL the time. This is NOT an unnatural affection-this is a marriage relationship, and after 15 years we have figured out that as long as I DO it that way (100% available-you-can-call-and-ask-me-anything-any-time-and-I-will-do-it), and he makes all HIS cleaning the house for mommy, going to work for mommy, dressing for mommy, and being 100% present for mommy... we have created a relationship that will last!

Learning the habit of being 100% present for someone (or something like prayer), IS A HABIT THAT TAKES AVAILABILITY. Are we "available"? I feel like one-whole-mom, when I can give my husband 100% of me, dropping whatever I do when I am doing it to serve him-because my children have watched their mother and father attempt to out serve each other! What an example! What a blessing!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

It's Good To Be a Mom




I have to face it, it is the "mom" season. NOT the "I am... season".

The season of babies, sippy cups, Lego's-under-toe, desk corners in thigh muscles, and laundry overloads. OH WHAT A SEASON.

Really though- could their BE any better a time? With things chaotic and uncontrolled, we are learning everyday and giving ourselves over to the unpredictability of hit-or-miss. Daily we fail-daily we succeed.

Whether or not things are "perfect" matters little to our precious ones. They could care less if we graduated from Stanford, Yale, or nowhere at all. They just need a shoulder to cry on, a boo-boo to be kissed, and a pat on the head in approval. Kids, let's face it are KIDS and praise God for that!

I woke up this morning at a quarter to 6AM, thinking "WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING WITH MY LIFE?!" Then I stumbled out of bed-past a pile of laundry on my left, bumped into a doorway on my right, stepped forward into the bathroom over bath toys and forgotten clothing strewn across the cold tiles and stood in front of the red ducked-taped toilet seat and thought... "I have been a MOM, THAT is what I have been doing- Could there BE any thing BETTER to DO with my life?"

There is NO Doubt, my wholeness comes from Jesus-and that my kids make up 99.9% of the reasons why I pray... what can I say... it's just THAT season!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

That Was Some BIG GIRL Church Today!


I am thankful that I read my Bible.

Not just because it is important, but because I have a recourse to draw from when life's HARD questions come my way. This morning was a "BIG girl" church moment.

Our Pastor was teaching on deliverance from curses (family or otherwise), and he felt led to abandoned the prepared message and begin applying the Word by casting out demons from the oppressed people. I LOVED IT, I was right in the THICK of it (watching church online and ROOTING for the Holy Spirit to 'Do His Thang'!) It was AWESOME! People falling all over the place, left and right. I was completely enthralled watching the revival/demonstration of the power of the Holy Ghost that I had forgotten that my 8,10 & 13 year olds were all watching the service with me.

So how to you explain "demonic possession" and the power that we as Christian Penetcostal Believers have to deliver the captive in the name of Jesus? Good question.

You know... I DIDN'T try to explain it. I took a few breaths when service was over, and I calmly asked the older boys... "Boys... do you have any questions about the church service today, and what the Pastor was doing-or why?" (In regards to the anointing of oil, and the laying on of hands, and the forceful commanding in the name of Jesus)

Surprisingly exuberant in their responses they said "NOPE, No way!" It turns out they were as wrapped up in it as I was, and they thought it was awesome as well. My 13 year old said to me, "Mom, I knew it was real when I heard the woman screaming and her mouth wasn't opened-it (the evil spirit) was being forced to GET OUT!"

My 8 year old daughter was quieter however, and I looked at her and I said, "That was some BIG girl church today sweetie (the screaming that was heard was pretty intense), are you ok?"

She just looked up at me, gave me a BIG smile and nodded her head. She was proud, that she was considered a "big" girl-big enough to handle grown-up concerns. This was not the service we had planned or expected, but it was so invigorating and joyous that we all stood in the presence of God and in awe.

GOD vs. satan

Church this morning was great. I was able to share with my husband and children the reality that satan is real, and that people can be delivered from demonic possession by the blood and through the name of Jesus. Mending the broken hearted, and filling those who seek deliverance with love and joy-

We watched one woman being held down by four men. She was writhing and clawing out at the Pastor. As he came near her- she was screaming at him to stay away and "LEAVE HER ALONE!", he, with love in his eyes jumped all over that spirit of oppression, and as he cast it out of her a calm fell on her face and she latched on to him weeping and crying out in adoration and thanksgiving. I will never forget her hollering out, "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I LOVE YOU!" He chuckled weepingly held the once oppressed woman in his arms, and laughed with her, telling her how much he loved her as well. It was an unforgetable moment...

I felt like ONE whole mom today, because I didn't shelter my children from reality, and I wasn't embarrassed or ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I didn't try to cover up what we had been witness to, instead we celebrated together for the now FREE men and women of Christ!

I learned today, that kids can handle a lot more than we think. Perhaps they even understand God-better than we do, in their youthful faith. What a day... what a message!

He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Psalm 107:20

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Yesterday We Dined, Today we PLAY




As a mother of five, I am constantly looking at and re-evaluating my house. What works? What doesn't work? For some reason, I think I am just wired to some sort of definition of "perfection". The house that we currently are in is 1100sqft, and has 3 bedrooms. Since my husband and I periodically work from home, it is MANDATORY that we have an office. This, left me with two choices...

1. Permanently reside on a hide-a-couch (this leaving the five kids to share the Master bedroom then use the 3rd bedroom as a playroom)

2. Use our "dining room/living room" as a play room (thus removing the 2500$ dining room set from the living room, and storing it out in the garage-SIGH)

Since my husband Jeff is in training to be a Professional Golfer, you can imagine what I chose. (No new hide-a-bed for us) Yesterday, I said "good-bye" to my 1959 vintage Drexel Heritage table and chairs- and I said "Hello" to Ernie, Elmo, and of course Thomas the Train.

How long will it last? I am not sure. Right now, we are carding out the folding table from Costco EVERY time we want to eat. It is a lot of work, but I am having fun doing something different-I am considering it "setting the table", LITERALLY.

During the day, my living room looks like a day care, and by the time dad is about to come home, we wrap it all up and put it in the hall closet. Then we "set-up the table", and all 7 of us sit to eat.

Preparing a place where my children can be creative and explore, makes me feel like ONE WHOLE MOM . It isn't that I desire their approval, it is that I desire their minds to be able to be free to be as creative as possible. Something (creativity) quite lacking in today's society. Well-I guess using a folding table from Costco, every night and morning to eat from-that's pretty darn creative...