One day they played a game. I don’t know what it was called or even what the rules were, but apparently there was some type of bean bag called “the bird” and the object was to pass it to one another.

At one point in the game, my sister had the bean bag and Bryan was freaking out, yelling “FLIP ME THE BIRD, FLIP ME THE BIRD…” over and over again.

She says it’s one of the funniest things she’s ever heard and by the way she tells it, it’s one of the funniest I’ve heard too!

I hadn’t thought about that story in a very long time, until I was teaching my 3 year old Kids’ Choir class a few weeks ago. The other teacher was introducing a new song to the kids. Given their ages, hand motions to go along with the words are always helpful.

One of the frequent words in this particular song was the name “Jesus” and so we showed them how to sign His name. Ms. Christy did the sign once and then pointed to each of their middle fingers and told them to touch those fingers to the palm of their opposite hand, representing the wounds from the nails on the cross.

You know, 3 and 4 year olds are very proud of themselves when they can do something big people can do, and in their excitement figuring out they were to use their middle finger and not their pointer finger, they were all holding up their middle fingers, grinning ear to ear showing each other.

I was thinking to myself “Flip me the bird, flip me the bird!”

I’m pretty sure one sweet girl in particular went home and showed her parents which finger to use, because the next week we were talking to them about the words in a song that went “Oh be careful little hands what you do” and when we asked the class if anyone could tell us something bad we could do with our hands, she quickly flipped us the bird and said we should NEVER do that!

I would have to be honest and say that this week’s Sunday Stirring post has been the toughest so far. Originally I thought that after a 2 week break I’d have plenty to say, but the reality is that for me, vacations breed apathy. We spent 9 days with Jeremy at a fishing tournament, then took the rest of last week off for our spring/winter break with school. I could pat myself on the back in regards to all the household tasks I accomplished, but at the same time, I got out of my routine. And one of those routines was reguarly scheduled time with the Lord.

With that said, I haven’t had an overwhelming nudge in any particular direction lately. However, one thing has popped up on more than one occasion: Comparisons.

Last month my neighbor wrote an excellent article on the dangers of comparison in marriage. Last fall I read “Serve God Save the Planet” and the author explained why we should never compare our lifestyle with the lifestyles of others. And most recently, popular Christian writer Francis Chan reminded me that my Walk with the Lord should never be compared to anything other than the Word of God.

I believe this is a trap we all fall in from time to time, whether it be comparing spouses, children, homes, cars, friends, etc. The problem is that no good ever comes from it. I mean, think about it. There is always a family that is worse off than yours. If you compare yourselves to them, you’ll always come out on top. And is that what you want? To be better than them? Or worse yet, does your pride elevate because of it? Or maybe you become content with where you are? Contentment with where we are is a serious hindrance to our spiritual growth.

The flipside to this is comparing yourself to people who seem to have it all. (Notice I said “seem to”.) How does that make you feel? Now your husband is no longer good enough. Your kids, your clothes, your income…isn’t good enough. It’s a recipe for bitterness and resentment.

I found a passage in 2 Corinthians 10:12-13 where Paul writes “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you.”

My study bible explains this passage by saying that Paul criticized the false teachers who were trying to prove their goodness by comparing themselves with others rather than with God’s standards. When we compare ourselves with others, we may feel pride because we think we’re better. But when we measure ourselves against God’s standards, it becomes obvious that we have no basis for pride.

The only One that should be setting the standards in our life is the Lord our God. Do not let man and the things of this world set the bar for your life. We all come from different backgrounds and have different paths to take. Instead of trying to out-do one another, let’s pray for each other. Rejoice in our friends achievements and share in the burdens of their sorrows. And if you ever have the desire to compare yourself to someone else, ….maybe try Jesus.

Just a thought…

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So what have been your thoughts these past couple of weeks. Please feel free to leave a comment or blog about it and link back here.

Earlier this month I posted this decorating dilemma. I was pleasantly surprised when my sister and my mom’s friend, Melisa both had the same great idea!

A tray! (Littlest Pet Shop characters, optional.)

Why didn’t I think of that??? I even had that wooden tray sitting around, not being used for anything. I love it right there on the ottoman with my books and coffee cup. (Although, usually it’s not hanging off the edge like in this picture!) The only thing that was missing was a blanket.

I asked my mom to help me make a quilt and in the mean time, she said I could borrow that soft blue throw from her bedroom. We planned a “working Saturday” for the new quilt-to-be, but that turned out to be the weekend it snowed and our favorite quilt shop was closed.

So one day last week, when Jeremy took the kids to his dad’s, I met my mom at Sweet Home Quilt Co. and we browsed until we found these:

Pretty, huh? I love picking out fabrics and trying to imagine what the finished project will look like. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks mom and I will plan another work day to make the quilt top. I can’t wait to see it lying in my favorite comfy spot!!!

Emery was quiet and I could tell his wheels were spinning.

Finally he says, “I don’t want to be a mummy.”

“Why?”

“Because”, he says. “I want to be the Daddy!”
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Last night we were coming home from church and I was lost in a song on the radio. Suddenly I became very aware of the conversation taking place in the back seat.

Savannah: “…my best friend has a pecker.”

Emery: “Well, then I am your best friend. I have a pecker too.”

I was trying to wrap my head around what they were talking about when Savannah tells Emery, “Hey, let’s switch birds. I want the one with the pretty feathers now.”

This past weekend though, we got a taste of spring. And after church on Sunday, I called my mom to see if she’d like to go with me and the kids to our favorite local State Park.

There are plenty of hiking trails at Hard Labor Creek.

But their favorite place to play is on this ennormous rock.

Even Nanny climbed up there for a quick snap shot!

Finally, we headed to the playground where they wore a hole in this slide.

And now today, as I’m writing this, there are snow flurries outside my kitchen window. I feel like sitting down and crying a tear into my old coffee cup. But first, I guess I need to go wash that worn out sweater.

Sorry my Sunday Stirrings post is coming to you on Monday, but yesterday was such a beautiful day, I couldn’t resist spending the whole afternoon outside. It was wonderful!

And speaking of being late (or not at all, as I’m about to explain), I have decided not to plan on posting anything the next 2 Sunday’s. Jeremy is fishing at Table Rock Lake in Missouri next week and my parents and I will be taking the kids out there on Saturday. We will stay for about 9 days. I won’t know if I have internet access until we get there. And plus, I may just take a true vacation and not worry about writing at all.

But if anything comes to me, I’ll let you know!

As for you guys, if any of you want to write something for Sunday Stirrings, feel free to link back to this post for the next 2 weeks. I promise to check it. Reading your posts is like getting an extra devotional for that day!
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Over the past week I have become acutely aware of how hard it is to be tuned in to the Holy Spirit while having children at home. I mean, obviously this is something I first figured out 7 years ago when Savannah was born. Gone were the mornings I spent perusing my bible for an hour.

I made adjustments to my morning study time and felt a bit of relief knowing this was only a season of my life. In a few short years my kids would be in school and I would have quiet time again to spend in thought and prayer.

But then homeschool came into my life and the naps disappeared. My days do start with a quick devotion followed most mornings by a plea prayer of “Help me Jesus!” to get me through the day. I find that the rest of the day is consumed with constant chatter, refereeing disagreements, and noise.

OH THE NOISE!

Granted, I do require a daily “room time”, more for me than them, but that’s when I tend to do things that need my full attention, like paying bills. And besides, what I’m lacking these days isn’t another 20 minutes with God. It’s being able to hear His gentle whisper among the chaos of the day.

So how do I get it? Where does it come from? Sorry I don’t have any conclusion to this post today, it’s just the thoughts that have been with me all week. I refuse to continue on saying “this is just a season” and feeling as if I’m living without the power that can help me be the mom and wife I am supposed to be.

I know it’s attainable. He wouldn’t have called me to homeschool and then used that to keep me FROM himself. His purposes are always to draw us closer. I just haven’t figured it out yet.

But I will!

To say that my kids love to play games, would be like saying Facebook is sorta popular. They absolutely, without a doubt would rather play a game than do anything else. (Except maybe baseball for him and the razor scooter for her. But other than that…)

It doesn’t matter what kind of game either. Card games, board games, or video games. They’ve even been known to try and join in a game of Rummikub from time to time.

I’m not sure how many times a day I get asked to play a particular game. I feel bad putting them off, but usually the best time for all of us to sit down and play is not until after dinner. That’s why Hullabaloo, by Cranium gets my vote for today’s Friday Favorite.

It’s a game they can play alone or with others. And, here’s a bonus…it’s a listening game. See Emery in the video? He’s listening to a voice directing him where to go next. He may say a color, shape, or object. He might ask you to crawl to get there, or jump or spin. As the games goes on, the commands get more challenging. Right before taping that video, Emery and I were playing it together and we had to “fly to a square, put your nose on a green, and high five someone next to you”.

It’s silly and fun, and isn’t that what all kids, young and old, love in a game? And while I’m at it, I’m gonna plug another Cranium game that my kids love to play. It’s called Bingo Bunch.

For Bingo Bunch you draw 9 or 12 cards and lay them out like a bingo card, face up. The cards have pictures on them of mix ‘n match people. There are 2 dice. One has upper torso, one has lower torso. So every time you roll them you make different body combinations. If the combo matches one of your cards, you turn it over. The first one to get 3 or 4 (depending on how many you started with) in a row, gets BINGO!

The body combinations crack my kids up. And I love Bingo Bunch because it fits in my purse or overnight bag. It’s a great travel game.

So what about all of you? Any cool kids games your family likes to play around the dinner table at night?

First, a couple of weeks ago, Emery had to give a presentation at school about what he wanted to be when he grew up. He stood confidently in front of the class and told them all about how he was going to be a super hero someday. How his super power would be speed and his wife would have the ability to become invisible.

Second, last week while Jeremy was stranded in Louisana with his truck broken down, he met a young guy from Japan. He came to America to fish the FLW Series and even though he speaks very little English, he and Jeremy hit if off. When it was time for Jeremy to come home on Monday, he called to let me know Naohiro would be coming with him to stay for 2 weeks until the Table Rock tournament.

I thought it would be best to prepare the kids for this and tried to explain to them that he didn’t speak our language. I also wanted to make sure they could say his name correctly by the time he got here. Naohiro is pronounced “Ni-Hero”.

Emery: “My hero?”
Me: “No. Ni, Ni, Ni-Hero.”
Emery: “Whose hero?”
Me: “Nobody’s hero. That’s his name. Naohiro.”
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Okay, with that in mind, fast forward to dinner that night. Both kids were totally fascinated with the poor guy, but he took it all in stride. They were asking him how to say everything from “hello” to “sing”. They wanted to show him all their favorite toys and teach him how to say the names. He was playing along until Emery brought in his Buzz Lightyear. Naohiro’s face lit up and he exclaims, “Oh Yes!!! Buzz a-Lightyear!!!”

Well, Emery was beside himself!

At that point Jeremy calmed everyone down so we could actually finish our dinner. It was quiet for a moment, then Emery began saying the colors of everyone’s hair. Jeremy and I made eye contact across the table because we knew what was coming. You see, Naohiro has black and orange hair. Like maybe he tried to bleach it, but it never got blonde? Anyways, one half of his head is orange.

So Emery gets to him and says “Naohiro’s hair is black AND orange! I’ve never seen black and orange hair before. Why IS your hair black and orange?”

Naohiro gets very serious, leans down, and looks Emery dead in the eye. In a soft voice he says, “Becuss, in uh Japan. I Japanese Sup-a-hero. I good friend with Buzz a-Lightyear.”

Oh how I wish I had a camera to capture the look on my son’s face. It was really too much!

You are a very sweet kitty, and I realize that in the land of all things cat, bringing gifts is your way of showing gratitude.

I should consider it an honor that you bring your dead mice, lizards, and birds to my doorstep. Why last week, you even went the extra mile and disemboweled the tiny offering.

But please, I’m begging you, for the love of critters everywhere…stop it, stop it, STOP IT!!!!!!

I’m sorry. I hope you know that it’s me, not you. Your sacrifices are obviously the finest vermin this property has to offer. I should see them for the compliment that they are.

It’s just that I have such a hard time accepting gifts that I feel I don’t deserve. I guess what I’m saying is, your appreciation is going well above and beyond what is necessary.

In the future, a simple purring sound when I pet your head and rub behind your ears is all that’s needed.

Thank you for your understanding on this sensitive subject.

Your friend,
Jodi

At the risk of making this post sound like a Nike advertisement, the Lord has taught me this week to “Just Do It”!

There is a particular thing that has been on my mind and heart for the past, I don’t know, 30 days or so. It’s something that I’ve done in the past but wasn’t sure if this time it was Spirit-led or Jodi-led.

And I wanted it to be Spirit led.

So I waited.

And prayed.

And waited.

And prayed.

It’s not that I didn’t want to do “the thing”, it’s just that I wanted it to be done correctly. I wanted to be sure it was God’s will for me to be doing it. When do I start? When do I stop? What is the purpose??? I questioned whether or not I should do it because I couldn’t get the answers I was looking for.

This week I read Luke 9:1-6 and it talks about Jesus giving power and authority to his disciples. He gave them a brief lesson on how to go out among the people and preach the gospel. Then they went.

As I read those verses it dawned on me what my reaction would have been as a disciple back in Jesus’ day. “Okay, I’ll go out and tell the people about you, but where specifically to you want me to go?”, “And what exactly do you want me to say?”, and “I’m not sure I have all the information down just yet”.

I don’t believe my hesitation is all bad, my desire is to do everything right. But in my quest to make the situation perfect…(a.k.a. “making sense of it all in my teeny tiny brain”), I’m ignoring a command.

This morning our Pastor gave a formula for success in life. He said, “God’s Purpose + My Obedience = Our Success”. He didn’t say anything about having all the answers up front.

Just do it!

What has the Lord been asking you to do? Have you done it? Or are you waiting for the “right” time? Today is a gift. And there is no time like the present. (Pun intended!)
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I can’t believe how these Sunday Stirrings posts are keeping me accountable to my quiet times and really helping me tune in to the word of God. If you’ve got something stirring inside this week, take a moment and write it down. Then link it up over here! :)