A binky free home

I'm sitting here typing this and listening to my daughter pathetically whine and "cry" for her binky.

Yea, funny story. We went to the office where she gets check-ups done sometimes. The were processing our paperwork and the woman behind the desk asked Kea for her binky. Kea gave it to her. Yea, gave it over willingly. The woman took it and told her she wasn't getting it back. Kea said, "ok" and took off, Brutus still in hand. I'm thinking to myself, "yea, ok I'll roll with this".
As we prepared to leave, I looked questionably at the woman who took the binky and she slipped it to me. I put it in the bottom of my purse.
I thought, I'm gonna go with this. Kea's teeth are messed up from this stupid binky and she certainly can't suck on it for the rest of her life, I'm gonna stand firm with this.

So, here we go. She asked for it a couple of times. I just keep reminding her she was very kind and gave it to the lady at the office who needed it really bad. It was o.k. for a little while. But now we are home and trying to take a nap which is a crucial binky moment.

It's going about like I figured it would. But, not as bad as I thought it might. I envisioned a screaming child, distraught and unable to be comforted.

Kids aren't as dumb or naive as we think they are. The crescendo just came and went. It was so-so. She has been in her room for an hour kind of whining, doing the whole fake crying thing. Then it hit. She began really crying. That was hard for me. I very nearly gave in. I went to her and guided her back into the bed, gently reminding her again how kind and compassionate she was by giving her only binky to that lady who needed it. I explained to her how much she helped that lady by giving her the binky and how much it helped her out. I reminded her how she got a sticker for being a big girl and giving her binky away and would she like another sticker. She took another sticker and put it in her "I've been good book". I told her she would get another sticker later after she woke up from her nap. But first she would need to lay down and go to sleep with only Brutus(her plush toy dog). She tearfully told me "ok" and laid down. I haven't heard a peep out of her since and that was 10 minutes ago! Praise the Lord, the first part of the journey is passing.

So, my rant now is binky vs. no binky. After this experience I am a believer in no binky ever. Why start it. Why do we start it? Because we parents are lazy and want instant gratification, not even taking our child's future into consideration. Just because we are tired and don't want to hear the whining and crying of the infant, we stick a fake nipple in their mouth to hush them up so we can have what we want. Not even thinking of later on down the road to when the child is addicted. How are you going to take it away? How is the child going to feel? Why not go ahead and suffer through the crying jags now that they won't really remember than yanking a security "blanket" away from them when they've grown up to depend on it?
If I had to do it over I wouldn't have used a binky for Kea.

I think I found my calling in Christ

Check out my myspace page....
www.myspace.com/honeybea3

I've always wondered how in the world I was going to "spread the gospel to every nation..." when I barely leave my home during the day.

Well, it started by creating a myspace page for our church. www.myspace.com/calvarysblessed

I must admit I'm a little "shy" when it comes to "spreading the gospel". I know I should not be, but I HATE confrontations and those are usually the result of witnessing. That, or questions being hurled at you that have no relation to the current conversation. They are just distractions, which I happen to be easily overcome by.

So, I began posting devotionals on the church's blog in myspace. I then began posting them on my own myspace in the bulletin section but heading them with catchy little phrases so people would open them. This was directly from God though because this morning the thought crossed my mind, I wonder how many people are going to catch on and quit opening my bulletins? The answer was, "When I don't want you to send them anymore I'll stop giving you the catchy titles." Hmph. O.k.

This morning another bulletin/devotional went out and I contintued to pray that God would work through me on myspace.

I then , out of blue mind you, did a search on "Plan of salvation", the results I got were from Chick Publications(they put out gospel tracks) I felt the Holy Spirit moving and thought, "Well, we put all kind of pics and clip art and quirky sayings on our pages, why can't I put this on there?" So I did.

My myspace now has the plan of salvation on it. Thank you Lord for indwelling in me and giving me the inspiration to reach out to millions for YOU!

No Words More Precious Than These.

After a busy evening at church, our small family of three came home and turned up the tunes. 97.5 country, who, on Sunday evenings plays the old, old, country music. (here I tried to link the website and the stupid computer keeps saying the link is broken, it never did that before I got this high falutin' system!)
Anyway, back to the point.
We enjoyed an evening of dancing and talking and playing. And listening to our little girl beginning to sound so grown up. Our efforts and hard work is beginning to pay off with teaching her to respect and use her manners. She is saying "please" and "thank you" nearly by habit now instead of us saying it and her repeating.

What ended up being the icing on the cake was later when we went to put her to bed. She was beginning to be a terror from being tired because it was past her bedtime. We scooped her up and began the ritual.
Put her in the bed, give her binky and brutus(a stuffed dog that a trucker gave her at the flying J, it's beginning to look well-loved.) and pushed the tummy on the glo-seahorse. We folded our hands and tried to convince our over-tired girl to do the same. Well, she was having none of it at the moment so we prayed without her participation.
After the prayer we explained to her that when we are talking to Jesus, or any other person for that matter, that other people should be quiet until they are done and then they can talk.
At the mention of Jesus name she perked up and said, "Jesus?". We said yes, and explained again about how we talk to Jesus and thank Him for dying for us on the cross so we could go to heaven. She then popped up and turned over and pulled her princess netting back and looked up at the bust of Jesus that we have in her room and said, "Jesus?". We told her yes that was a statue of Jesus. She looked again and sweetly looked and at him and said, "nigh,nigh, Jesus!". As tears welled up in my eyes from the joy this precious gift gives to us daily with her child innocence, she nestled down in her little bed as calm as a lake on a quiet mountain morning.
So far, I've heard no other words in my life that I can recall as precious as that.

Yesterday evening at church we had a guest speaker.
He gave a powerful message and it made me stop and think.
Many of us spend the day praying, and we go to church on Sunday, but the rest of the time we never pick up the Bible or study it. He used the analogy of a well-fed person. None of us like to skip meals. Few of us do unless it's an accident. As you look at Americans today you see so many of them obese. If you could open the door to look in on our spirit man how would he look? I am so guilty of not feeding my spirit what it needs. Yes, I go to church on Sundays. I do my devotions in the morning. I pray throughout the day. But, do I study Him? Do I seek and look to Him at each and every decision point of the day? Do I use my time wisely? How much T.V. or computer time to I take in comparison to how often I pick up my Bible and read or study it or even sit and just pray with no other distractions. I don't worship God throughout the week like I do on Sunday in service. And even then the distractions around me take my mind and eyes off Christ and receiving His directions. My daughter being a stinker, someone elses kid being a stinker. So, if I'm only trying to listen on Sunday and don't get anything because of those distractions, and I'm not giving Him much time or attention throughout the day at home how starved and waif-like must my spirit-man appear. No strength to fight a battle if it should arise. My spirit would barely be able to lift their arms to get the armor on!
So in addition to my 50 million pound challenge this year, I am attempting to feed and exercise my spirit man as well as my physical body.
I would challenge you to do the same. Even if you are spiritually healthy and your spirit man looks fit and a little overweight. Why not make him spiritually obese! It would be better for you this way than vice verse!

Rohan

Yesterday was one of the most difficult days I've ever had to experience.

Watching a mother and father let go of the tiny body of their seven year old son as his casket was loaded up and placed into a herse and driven away to be cremated.

Having to take pictures of that tiny swollen face. Even the makeup put on his face could not conceal the bruising and damage from the accident.

No, yesterday is not a day I care to re-live. Yet, when I close my eyes I see his face. I hear the sobbing of the parents and family as they try and wrap their minds around God having a purpose for this tragedy and how it will glorify Him.

The uplifting part is the little boy had made a profession of faith and accepted Jesus Christ our Lord into his life. He will be in heaven. Running down those streets of gold looking for dinosaurs and playing hide-and-go-seek with the Son of God Himself.

It doesn't seem fair for those left behind.

So ends the bittersweet day.

May our heavenly Father enjoy Rohan's presence in heaven as much as he was loved and enjoyed by his family and friends on this earth.

A new challenge

As I was sitting on my lazy behind watching Property Virgins on HGTV a commercial came on promoting a new free weight loss challenge. It's called, The 50 million pound challenge.
The object is for Americans to sign up for free and utilize the free tools included in the challenge and to reach a goal of 50 million pounds lost total.

I'm ready.

So, I signed up. I'm now a team leader as well for Healthy Women of Pasco. Here is the link, https://www.50millionpounds.com/challenge_teams/my_teams.aspx

Y'all check it out. And send me some love. Feel free to join and create teams in your own area.
I think this is a great way to get out of that rut that so many of us find ourselves in.

Don't you hate it when.....

You remember that you were suppose to remember something but you can't remember what it is you were suppose to remember?

This is my dilemma.

Our family, Mike, Kea, My mother and father, my grandmother and Mike's mom went to Red Lobster last night to celebrate Christmas. We had a good time, with the exception of Dad hurting badly and his stomach being uncooperative. He had to take his food home with him. Anyway, we all had a good time, we made it through dinner. Kea was the life of the party. She was so good! She was dressed up in her beautiful brown dress with sea foam green trimming. She looked like a life-size doll. Her little plaid shoes matched the color of her dress. Oh! I think I just remembered what it was I was suppose to remember to write in my blog! Yea!
Anyway, Kea was a little bored, but handling it well as she began mashing her hands in her fish and mashed potatoes. By the end of the meal she was an avid mashed potato sculptor. Up to her elbows. Ha, good times, good times, I say!
Another exciting event took place at the end of the meal as everyone oooed and awed over Kea's creations in her mashed potatoes. She wanted to go wash her hands and on the way back she put her brakes on and began pulling me back towards the bathroom saying, "poddy, mamma, poddy!". As we approached the table she became more insistent, I thought, "what can it hurt, at least she is getting the concept." So, we went back and you won't believe it! My little girl went pee pee on the poddy! And she insisted we go do it.
Now if we could get her to do that at home I think she would be poddy trained.

From here on out it was just the usual.
We drove home.

Mom gave us Christmas stockings filled with goodies and Mike and I took a very tired, but sweet girl home to go to bed.

We are so excited about tomorrow. Not because of presents or food. But, because it's Kea's first acknowledgable Christmas. It has been such a joy so far to hear her talk about baby Jesus being born, and squealing with delight when she sees Christmas tree lights! We swear she must be my sister's daughter because her favorite things to point out are "nomen"(snowmen). Last I remember my sis was a big Snowman fan. She loves Christmas trees! This morning she took off with one of the five presents under the tree. Mike and I are more excited about Christmas this year because of her, I think, than because it's Christmas. It's just amazing to see her grow and learn!

Santa Claus came to our house the other evening. We have not taught Kea about Santa Claus. So, I was a little bit in a panic trying to think of a way to either explain to "him" our views on the season and send him on his way, or how to explain to Kea who and what "he" was. We certainly didn't want to offend a kind deed the neighbors were doing. Especially since these neighbors need us to show them Christ's love. The Lord was with us. I explained to her that Santa Claus had come to visit her and Jesus who was born on Christmas day asks alot of men and women all over the world to help him spread Christmas cheer and sometimes give presents to men, women, and children all over the world. And Jesus had asked this Santa to come and visit her and give her a gift. Thank you Lord for your help. It is important to us that Kea know the Truth of Christmas and not the facade that the world has pushed upon us.

I get to relax today, my home is clean. This is due to the help of a friend and is a blessing. Because today I can sit around and enjoy just being with Kea and watching t.v. or catching up on reading, or other cleaning projects I can't get to because of the everyday stuff.

I'm off and I leave you with a Christmas wish. That your Christmas may be Christ-filled.

Love you, Bea