Do You Have The Disease to Please?

 

  I remember when my first 3 kiddos were little, I thought everything had to be immaculate in our home.  I cleaned, cleaned and you guessed it, cleaned. I didn't enjoy my children. I got frustrated when they made a mess, and I never wanted them to play with their toys. I was in a constant state of frenzy because I felt I had to have a home that looked a certain way. I blame this on the way I was brought up, but also on the fact that certain family members would just drop by without notice and would criticize me if everything wasn't just so.  I use to be a people pleaser. I wanted their approval more than I wanted my family to be happy in their own home.

     When I turned 26, and we had our 4th baby, something just struck me like a bolt of lightening. Why was I so interested in what people thought of me and how I kept my home?  Now don't get me wrong, I still like things clean, but I also want a home that my family feels comfortable in.  I want them to play and have fun.  I want them to drag their toys out and giggle when they wrestle with daddy on the living room floor.  I want to have pillow fights and be able to play in the mud without having a mom constantly nagging them to stay clean.

      By the time we had our 6th baby, I was all over impressing others and all about pleasing my family.  This mom turned in her Drill Sergeants hat for a straw hat that she wears while playing in the dirt in our gardens. We have fun now!  We laugh and play.  We still all have our chores to do, but it isn't a constant battleground of keeping things perfect.  I set my family free!

     If you are a people pleaser like I was, please take a good hard look at what you are doing to the atmosphere of your home. Is it inviting or just a showplace where no one, especially your family members, feel  comfortable and creative?  Let down your hair and enjoy life. Don't let the years pass you by like I did. Have Fun Today!!!!!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Children are a blessing from the Lord.  We read this in Psalm 127 verse 3.  Even when we get frustrated or upset with our children, we must remember how precious their lives are and how quickly they grow up.  What frustrates us today, will be a memory tomorrow.

Our children need us in their lives on a daily basis.  We need to sit with them, talk with them and gently guide them to the Lord.  It is our jobs as parents to love them unconditionally and to encourage them on the path that the Lord has established for them.  Kids remember so much.  They are like little sponges, waiting to soak up whatever we say and do.  If you want to have children who honor God, follow his commandments, and respect you, then you must first model this behavior.  Many times the very behaviors that angers us about our kids, are modeled to them by us.  If you are having a problem in a certain area with one of your kiddos, I would suggest to take a long hard look at yourself.  See if you are the example they are following.  It's hard to imagine that we are the ones teaching our children to lie, or gossip, or be disrespectful, but it's likely we are.  Do your children ever see you lie on while on a telephone call, or do they see moms disrespecting their husbands, or dads gossiping about so and so at the office?   They watch us!   They see what we do even when we don't realize they are looking and listening.

Today, I challenge you to go to your children and have some quiet time just talking.  If you feel led, ask your children to forgive your bad behaviors and repent in prayer so they can hear you asking the Lord for his forgiveness of your wrong doings.  This will leave a lasting memory in your child's life.  In one moment of humility, you can change the course of your child's life, no matter what their age.