How A Mother of 4 Spends Her Summer

Oh, heeeeeyyyyyy!

Long time no typ-Y. Or typ-IE. Or typ-EY.

Recently, some one inquired after my seemingly silent presence on the blog for the last month.
"Are the culture wars too overwhelming for you?" "Are you formulating your response?" "Are you about to make a big announcement?"

I giggled inside.

Actually...... my children are at home. Every writing cell in my brain has been dead on the bottom of the fish tank since the summer bell rang and the monkeys came home. Every sane thought has washed out to sea. Question fatigue, in a Pac-Man like manner, has eaten all the neurons in my brain. Every day our need for Jesus and August grows exponentially.

It's so crazy, for ten years we spent every day, all day together. But when the great need for natural space and healthy margins were an absolute, we all learned to function with a larger bumper in our lives. So.....when you throw us all back together for endless days and weeks, we begin to rub each other raw. We are beyond nap times, early bed times and quiet times. But in exchange, I get to sleep in every morning, I have the option to go for a walk or run an errand BY MYSELF, and we can hang out late into the evening at a friends house with no remorse of people missing their bed time. All in all, it's a pretty sweet exchange. But it's been A LOT of togetherness. I'm the mom that always cries on the first day of school, and the first day of the second semester. I honestly enjoy having my kids at home, I really do! But I also enjoy the natural and healthy space we gain when school starts.

We've had a good mixture of busy and bored this summer. Just how I like it. My kids work endlessly during the school year, so I love for them to actually get to unwind and be still for so long, they bottom out in boredom.

One of the BEST things we have done this summer, is grow our very FIRST garden. After 12 years of motherhood, I felt like I finally had the mental and physical energy to oversee another living creature besides my own four, small children. So Mama with wee ones, NO GUILT because you have no garden plot outside in your back yard. NO GUILT, because you can hardly see straight just keeping up with feeding your mini-me around the clock. NO GUILT, over stuffing your face with french fries and chicken nuggets... I've SO been there, and I am harvesting vegetables especially with you in mind. Your time will come and you too can join the garden club. :)

Any who!
I wanted a small garden with 6 items. Because Mark and I are garden virgins, I wanted something small and manageable.... Ok, ok, controllable. Enter Mark. 22 items later, we have an out of control jungle. But oh my, we are having a complete BLAST!

(Isn't that gardener sexy in that straw hat? And his little helper is just too much! :)

The garden has been sweet therapy for the soul. Pruning, pulling, tending, nourishing, and picking. All good processes as you process. And we've had some stuff to process, yeah?! When I'm in the garden smelling dirt, pulling harmful weeds, killing squash bugs, standing in awe over the fact we actually produced a crop, eating tomatoes from the vine, and dancing in delight over the cutest watermelon baby you've ever beheld; God is so near to the weary places threatening to consume.
And we all have weary places, yeah?! There is no doubt in my mind now why God placed Adam and Eve in a garden, and birthed His intimate relationship with them amongst the zucchinis and lilies. It comes full circle for me, when I contemplate the hallowed garden ground He bleed upon when He honored His father and drank the cup of suffering, and then again when He crushes death and His resurrected body take its first steps onto the soil of a garden. God has a long history of dwelling in garden spaces.

At each sign of precious garden life, we've celebrated. I mean, for real. When the first seed sprouted and pushed up through the earth, we jumped with joy. And I have a fierce fight in me, when I see the tiniest squash bug trying to destroy my handi-work. I'm all, "DEATH! DEATH TO YOU, SQUASH BUG!" Then I dance again when the enemy is overcome with dish soap and water. VICTORY for the gardener. Y'all, I'm dancing over onion seeds and pepper plants. I cannot imagine how my Savior dances over me; a soul. A soul made, copy and paste, of His soul. He keeps a tender and watchful eye on me at all times. He dances when I bare up under the weight of this dry and parched land, and He rejoices, as He and He alone, infuses me with the power to overcome the bondage of sin and death.

We serve a great, attentive and kind gardener. He knows His crops, and He knows the enemy of His seed. He remains faithful, tried and true. He knows His land and has promised to tend to His crop until the fruition of His plan has blossomed. His way is not thwarted by storms or droughts. He is not overwhelmed by bugs and floods. He gently paces His perfectly planted rows and speaks joy and wonder over them. He calls to them to grow up from under the darkness of the dirt. He calls them to LIFE. Real, unashamed LIFE!

I'm more in love with my Gardener today, than ever before!

Happy Gardening!
~Sara

A Page From My Heart: Anxiety About Abuse

*Clause*
Sweet readers, I know some of you are victims of abuse. I want you to know I write very delicately with you and your abuse in mind.  I've cried for you, I've prayed for you, I've stood in awe of you, I've recounted your bold and brilliant stories of redemption out of abuse, and I've said your names out loud in the fog of night. You do NOT walk alone. I hear you, I see you, I treasure you, and it's because of your experiences of abuse I refuse to remain silent any longer.

My very closest family members, friends and people who I allow to have an on-going influence over me, continue to be women and men who are willing to talk about REAL life happenings in a subdermal way. In other words, I appreciate people who cut the crap and talk to me about a page from their heart. I strive very hard to offer my readers a very raw glimpse into some areas of my own home; marriage, parenting, spirituality, basically my heart. After five years, I've had to pick and choose what makes the blog and what does not. I have to protect my family and my friends. I have to write what is ALWAYS TRUE, and I have to be able to sleep at night with those closest to me still able to trust and respect my care of them through my art. At times, it can be terrifying and straight up alcohol inducing. I've experienced several vulnerability hangovers, but my inner circle continues to whisper in my ear, "Keep writing! It's making a difference. People are reading. People are being blessed. God gave you a gift, use it!" I love my inner circle!!

And so I write.

For several weeks now, I've been waking up in the middle of the night completely unable to go back to sleep. Zach would tell you it's because I've been sleeping in til noon, I would tell you he might be partially right ;)! But the other part, the part where it isn't about getting too much sleep, I would tell you it's about some anxiety I'm experiencing.

One of my mother's most famous lines was, "All of our strengths become our weaknesses!" She was RIGHT on. The very strength I possess is also the thorn waking me up at night. I am an intentional person. Primarily intentional when it comes to relationships and the study of people. I read, I'm an avid self-educator, I love learning and watching and listening to people's stories. Every time some one shares a little piece of themselves with me, I feel honored.

Much of the research I've been working through is about childhood abuse. And like with many topics of abuse, the research, stories, and theories can begin to sew itself into your thought patterns. And for the record, Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" formula doesn't aid in un-ringing the bells that now chime regarding abuse.

My anxiety? I am afraid Anderson will be the victim of sexual abuse.

Yes, I know that I have 3 girls who could be victims of abuse. Yes, I know most people spend their time worrying about protecting the vulnerable lives of little girls from abuse. AS THEY SHOULD! But what I'm learning, what I'm seeing, stories people are telling me is this; little boys need warriors to protect them from abuse also. Because Anderson is getting ready to stretch his independent legs for the first time with some wonderful activities this summer and this fall, I feel myself more aware of his vulnerability, and more concerned about potential abuse.

Simultaneously, I find myself discovering day after day, grace after grace, how sexual brokenness in adults originated from childhood abuse. And as I have said before, sexual abuse it not just limited to the act of molestation, rape or incest, but leading childhood psychologists are also recognizing that when a child is introduced to sex in an unhealthy, unsafe way, ripples of distortion, perversion and abuse remain on a child's heart.

Statistically, little boys tend to be more sexually curious than little girls. I am very slow to use words like ALWAYS and EVERYONE, because I know little girls can be sexually curious also, but God wired little boys in such a way their intense curiosity is far more frequent and stronger than little girls. We also know the average age of children viewing porn is 8, and it is becoming clearer and clearer most parents are not taking the time to educate themselves nor their children about sex and sexual abuse, AT ALL. Consequently, we have loads of children walking around with a strong curiosity, uneducated parents, a brain full of Rolodex images and no where and no one to talk to. It is because of this research on abuse, these stories about abuse, these statistics on abuse, I REFUSE to bury my head in the sand and allow abuse, darkness, secrets, lies and naivety to reign and direct the conversation about abuse.  Sexual abuse is real my friends, very real.  Sexual abuse has affected someone you know right now. And my fierce, "oh hell no" side, wakes up when I realize abuse is happening right now to a child in each of our lives.

1 out of 5 girls will be a victim of sexual abuse. 1 out of 20 boys will be a victim of sexual abuse. And 3 out of 4 adolescents who are victims of abuse, will have these horrific experiences of abuse at the hand of some they know very well. We also know the majority of sexual predators are males.

Enter my son.

I have mental images of men, older boys, peers taking advantage of him and abusing him in the restroom, locker room, an empty class room, Sunday school room, in the quiet corner of a yard, a birthday party, a friends house and I'm not so naive to believe abuse couldn't happen in my very own home. I envision Anderson accidentally coming upon pornographic material on someone's ipod, iphone, ipad, personal computer, laptop, etc... And because we function in a "not if, but when" world, we are trying to prepare him (and our girls) with a plan about what to do with those images when he first discovers them.

I had a major fight with anxiety last night and my fear of abuse. It has been trying so hard boss me around and gain a foothold in my heart. My anxiety about abuse has been working towards paralyzing me and undoing me. For me, the root of all of my anxiety is unbelief. Unbelief in who God says He is, unbelief in His promises, unbelief in what He has ALREADY done for me and what He says He will do for me. My anxiety says to God,  "I don't believe in who you say you are!" And because this is not my first tango with anxiety, I have learned how to go to war with my anxiety. I do not sit idly by and let it take root. I call it out, I name it what it is, "fear, anxiety, unbelief" and I cling to my Refuge.

What am I doing to combat this latest anxiety about abuse? Mark and I continue to have proactive conversations with Anderson (and all of our kids) about safe situations and unsafe situations, proper touches and improper touches. We speak very openly and honestly about abuse in all forms. We don't have male babysitters, and our kids aren't left alone in the company of just men. We are incredibly particular about the girls who do babysit, we ask a lot of questions and we don't do sleepovers.

The main place I've been retreating to with all these heavy thoughts and fears regarding abuse, is Jesus. He gently takes my chin and tips it up so I see His eyes, He draws me close and says,
"Do you believe who I say I am?!"
"Do you believe I love your son more than you do?!"
"Do you believe I am in the business of redeeming broken things?!"
"Do you know that my grace is sufficient for you day by day, and today I'm NOT asking you to walk with your son through an abuse?!"
"Not today, Sara! I have not asked that of you TODAY! You are grieving in body, soul and spirit something my grace is not covering because it's not reality! That's a dangerous and lonely road to walk!"
"Be ALL HERE, Sara! Be wise, not wimpy. Be a warrior, not a worrier. Be intentional, not insane. Be an advocate, not an addict to anxiety. Be cautious, not controlling."

So there it is, a page from my current heart. Anxieties I'm struggling with, wrestling with. Pray for me if you think of it, I would so covet those prayers. Thanks for walking with me. Thanks for allowing your heart and your head to come out of the sand of abuse.... Our children, their stories and their hearts are worth the awakening!

~Sara

 


    

Dan's Story

By Andrew Hall:

I've hijacked my sisters blog. 

I meant to do this months ago because a story came into my life that needed to be told and we Halls, being story-tellers, I wanted to tell it.   I haven't told a story in a long time but this one was close to me, strong in my mind and it pulled at me in ways that most stories don't. But for some reason at the time, I didn't tell it.  I don't know why. 

Well, the story changed this week. In fact, someone died.  It's tragic and it hurt and I'm still reeling. Now I know, it's time to tell the story.

At this point, I want to give credit to my sister. She is a writer because she writes. I am not a writer because I don't write. The formula is that simple. And because Sara writes, she has become a very good writer.  Again, it's that simple. Good job Sara, keep writing. 

I originally wanted to call this article, 'Doctors On Drugs'. I wanted to talk to you like Sara talks to you: honestly, upfront, in a Mike Rowe, down-home, back-porch kind of way. I can often hear in my mind, softly in the background, the evening cicadas calling and my nieces and nephews playing in the backyard as I read her blog. I like that kind of scene and it is the sign of a good writer to create a place like that, were we can all meet.

On the porch you can be at your best and most real.  On the porch it is usually your best audience because they are your best friends.  But the danger of the porch (you have to remember) is that this audience knows you best and they won't let you get away with anything other then you being authentic.  My sister has perfected this in her blog and in respect of this tradition, I will do the same.  

Months ago, I really wanted to tell you about Dan. He is a patient of mine and no, that's not his real name.  I've changed a few other details as well, so don't worry about that.  Dan came to my office at 28 years old with back pain, neck pain, trouble sleeping, headaches and migraines; depression and fatigue.  All of these were made worse by his morbid obesity.

Being a chiropractor, these are the things I see pretty regularly and frankly, I'm really good at helping people get better. Not just good, really good. I'm not bragging, it's just the truth for those who don't know. 

What caught my attention most though was Dan's story. 

It was hard to hear, even for a doctor.  With the help of his Dad, who was with him at his new patient exam, I heard his story. 

Dan told it to me unblinking. He did not hesitate once, he did not turn his eyes, his voice did not waiver, like he was telling me about his morning routine or what kind of work he did. It's not an easy story, so if you are not in the place for this, here is your exit ramp. 

At the age of 9, Dan took swimming lessons at the local YMCA. During the time, he and eight other boys, over a period of months, were severely molested and sexually abused by a swim instructor.  His parents did not know about this for years. Dan's parents are not neglectful parents either, they are upstanding Christians that hold esteemed places in our community and were/are engaged in their children's lives.

 Again, kudos to Sara for writing about talking to your kids about sex and protecting them here. Most parents have no idea of the predators out there. They are there and are very, very real. 

By the time Dan's parents found out and the man was brought to justice, the wounds were very deep. So deep and horrific was the abuse, that of the nine boys molested, eight of them committed suicide before reaching 25 years old. Sit on that for a minute. Dan was the only survivor of this abuse. 

As I sat and listened to his story in my new patient exam room, this is the part where my hands started to tremble and sweat. I can't remember that ever happening during a new patient exam. 

He continued on.  

He said that during his late teen years he coped with the abuse by working out and going to the gym. He became quite strong and proficient at lifting weight.  I imagine that not only was he trying to find solace in lifting weights but he was trying to build strength so that no one could ever hurt him again. A wall of muscle. But those are just my thoughts.

As he worked out at the gym, he injured his low back lifting weights. A common injury for weight lifters, especially young, inexperienced weigh lifters. Most gym-rats report that at one time or another they have had at least a sprain/strain injury of the back. It was the same for Dan.

Dan's parents, being concerned, took him to the local medical doctor and he prescribed heavy pain medications. Vicodin to be exact. 

For those of you who don't know, Vicodin is a very strong pain analgesic, of the opioid family; in the same group as opium, morphine and heroin. It's strong, efficient and addictive. After taking his first dose, Dan remembered thinking, "This is the high I have been looking for." He was 17 at the time.  

He told me that a month later he was shooting heroin into his veins on a regular basis. He says he spent the next 10 years of his life an addict. He stole, he lied, he did anything necessary for his next high.  When his parents finally threw him out of their house after repeated attempts at rehab, he slept on heating vents during the winter nights on the streets of Boston, stoned out of his mind or in such bad withdrawal that he could barely move. He did this for ten years. Ten years as an addict. 

There is a lot of noise in mass media about 'Gateway Drugs' and for good reason. The illicit drugs out there being pushed towards kids are dangerous. But the most available and often times the most addictive 'Gateway Drugs' are the ones in your medicine cabinet right now. The ones that you have forgotten about or the ones you use only now and then when the pain or the headaches get really bad.  Those are the ones your kids find and try. 

I remember as a young man having four of my wisdom teeth being pulled at once and having a prescription of OxyContin given to me. I took them once right after the surgery and was a total zombie for an entire day. I remember never wanting to be in that state again. 

Later that week, I had a co-worker at the restaurant I worked at offer to buy them from me because, "They were a great high.  The real professional shit."

I didn't sell them, but I do remember never wanting to be involved with that kind of scene. I was 19 years old, busing tables in a breakfast restaurant in the suburbs.  

But back to Dan's story.

Dan continued with his story about drug abuse, the multiple times in and out of rehab, in and out of his parents house. He said that it had all started back with the sexual abuse and wanting to get away from it, wanting to get away from he pain. 

He sat in front of me and said that he was now in a place of recovery and that he wanted help with the migraines, the neck pain, the back pain, the obesity he was currently dealing with and he wanted to get his health back on track.  He felt like he was finally 'waking up' after 10 years of addiction.  

Dan started care with me and I began adjusting him.  It was hard for him; he didn't like being touched, (understandable) and he had a hard time getting out of bed some days because of the depression. (I would have too).  

Dan did get better.  Dan's body responded well and he started down the road to recovering his health.  He even got a job at the local Salvation Army helping other addicts to go through the recovery process.  He was doing really well. 

That was the original story I wanted to tell you:  Dan's story with lessons about protecting your kids, knowing that some of the most addictive and dangerous drugs out there are given to you in round orange bottles; that the road to recovery is possible, that even when health seems to be lost, it can be recovered.  But all of that is over now.  Dan died last week.

His dad emailed our office and told me that it wasn't because of drugs;  Dan died in his sleep because of sleep apnea that was made worse by his obesity.  His heart stopped and he died, I pray, peacefully and quietly.  

I have heard an idea that at certain times in our lives, God gives us an 'out' of this life.  We reach a point where this life seems to have taken so much from us: the pain, the despair, the dirtiness of existing in time and space seems too great and God speaks to our spirit and we can choose to come Home early.  

The freak accident, the young marathoner dying from a heart attack, the fatal occurrence that would have never happened without perfect timing, a loved one slipping away in their sleep; these things that seem unexplained and tragic really aren't.  It is just a life-weary soul whispering to their Maker, "I am ready for Home." and our ever compassionate Creator reaches out and whisks this soul immediately into His Presence. No more pain, no more suffering and with the view of Eternity, the soul understands all of the 'why's' of their journey.  

I believe this to be true and I believe that Dan took his 'out' last week.  

I'm not writing this to give a lesson at the end, not anymore.  I think there are lessons to be learned here if you choose to hear them, but that is not why I write about Dan.  

His life, like all of our lives, was too big, too complex, too meaningful to sum up in one simple cliche or sentence like, 'Don't do drugs' or 'Watch out for sexual predators.'  

I wrote this because Dan's story touched me, from the time he began to speak during his new patient exam, to the point where his father wrote an email to my office telling me of his death.  It is still touching me, affecting me, pushing me deeper into this life.  Into the dirtiness, yes, but also into the glory of it; the beauty of each moment and the overwhelming Grace of God that is always with us.  

Dan's story needed to be told. Here, on this porch of my sister's creation, here amongst friends and the evening calls of the cicadas, because I am a story-teller and maybe even a bit of a writer still, I stepped up and told it.  Thanks for listening.

Andrew  

The Greatest Lie Pastors Must Silence For Their Kids

When I walk into a new church, I immediately try and make visual contact with the pastor's kids, and NOT for the reasons other congregants try and pick out the pastor's kids. I try and find the pastor's kids because I want to see their faces, take a mental pictures of them (in a non-stalker like way ;) and begin to pray prayers of protection over them. I have the absolute biggest and most tender heart for pastor's kids, because I am one.

Thirty three years of surviving tried and true "PK jokes" with predictions of my rebellion and scandal waiting at the punch line. It would just be best if no one ever told another "pastor's kid" joke. EVER.

There are often deep waters of insecurity, panic and indifference pulsing through the hearts of a pastor's kids. There are unspoken standards, many in the church, try and presume on the life of pastor's kids. And when pastor's kids are unprotected by their parents, from these pressures, lies begin to seep through to the inner chamber of their souls and take root.

Here is the SINGLE greatest lie pastors must silence for their kids, in an attempt to circle the wagons around their eternally, impressionable hearts.

Lie: The church and her members are more important than your mother and you.

My heart threatens to burst into a million pieces anytime I see pastor's kids suffering from this despicable lie. Unfortunately, for many in full time ministry, this lie, in all actuality, is the truth being written in our pastor's homes. Pastor's kids are more damaged by the reality that their dad is having an affair with the church and all her alluring ways, then any other pseudo reasons one might want to derive. Pastors, YOUR GREATEST ministry is your marriage and your children!! The best sermon you will EVER preach is faithfully and passionately loving your wife. The kryptonite to bitter, broken, pastor's kids who choose rebellion and scandal, is the CONSISTENT message in word and deed to them "YOU WIN! My ministry to you is more important then my ministry to the church and her members."

Pastors, if your church, church members and church leadership do not value your marriage and your ministry to your children, ABOVE your ministry to the church; RUN, do not walk out of that church.

Church leaders, if you do not value your pastor's marriage and your pastor's ministry to his kids, ABOVE his ministry to you and the church, you are allowing a foot hold for the devil in the destruction of a family, and ultimately the destruction of a church body.

With tears streaming down my face, I have witnessed this destruction far too many times.

It doesn't have to be this way!! By the grace of God, I am the daughter of a pastor who CHOSE ME! Who chose my mother, my siblings, and our family above the white noise of full time ministry. Pastor's marriages and pastor's kids hearts, do not have to be the collateral damage of seminary degrees and pastoral robes. When a pastor's full time ministry is his marriage and children, the church will benefit from the sweet aroma of joy filling the pulpit and the pew.

Oh friends, we must be fierce in fighting to protect such sacred places and spaces. There are so many hearts at stake when this lie is allowed breathing room and false validation in our churches. The church is constantly under attack, and our pastors, their marriages, and their families are often the first victims Satan picks off.

I am card carrier of a unique club, "pastor's kid; unscathed." There is so much beauty and redemption when a pastor is given the freedom to pursue his first loves; his wife and children.

Now go on and be a voice seeking to cherish and protect such sweetness!!

~Sara, a pastor's kid

What Our Kids Learn The Last Month of School

I asked Mark to stop and get me some coffee on his way home from work yesterday, because my stash was running low. Me - coffee ='s a national security crisis. Coffee is one of my love languages. I'm not afraid to admit I'd give up food before I'd give up coffee. This is what he delivered.

There is a reason he didn't pick up JUST one or two, but THREE packages of coffee. We are in the final stretch of school. The ninth hour, the ninth month, the ninth inning. However you want to label it, we are nearing the end. Four weeks, and the 6:15 AM alarm goes from green to gray, and the whole house shouts HALLELUJAH! If Lucy's eyes were a downloading ticker, it would indicate she is 99% complete. When Lucy gets tired, she gets crazy delusional. Last week, she walked in the door from school, laid down on the ground with her back pack STILL on, and stared at the ceiling for an hour. God love her. I believe she is ready for the third grade train :)

We've been going to bed earlier and earlier, and waking up later and later, because our bodies are all, "I love this bed! I love this bed! I love this bed! I can't get up! I can't get up! I can't get up! One more snooze! One more snooze! One more snooze!"

Based on rough estimations, I have made and packed 360 lunches and 480 water bottles. At the conclusion of this school year, I hope to pass Kindergarten for the 5th time, 2nd grade for the 4th time, 3rd grade for 3rd time and 6th grade for the 2nd time. I have relearned so much this year; I am a complete wizard with my multiplication math facts. 'Go Dog Go' is STILL a really long book for a new reader. I have totally enjoyed reading Harry Potter through the eyes of my daughter. I increased my historical knowledge of Chinese Emperors. And seriously, I can do a mean Brachiosaurus impression (yes, I had to Google the correct spelling!) I've learned A LOT, and so have my cherubs. But like Lucy, my brain is full, my body is tired and we're all ready for a small fast from school.

But all the the teachers, who feel the exact same way, respond in unison, " DON'T QUIT YET, THERE ARE STILL FOUR WEEKS LEFT!"

Yes.there.are.

While our brains have broken the standard rule, "all things in moderation", and we are teetering on obesity of knowledge; we press on. In between dodging the "can you check us out early?" requests, and "do we have to go?" pleas, I've decided these final weeks of school are SO MAJOR in the lives of our kids.

Major, not because the bulk of their educational foundation is being laid in these final days, or the climax of passing their current grade is at hand, but because their character will be solidified in pushing through the uncomfortable.

Littlejohns don't quit!

So much of life is bearing down and holding on in the uncomfortable. Leaning hard and heavy until the work is done. Be it physical work, spiritual work, martial work, parental work, or just work-work. We don't have the luxury or the permission to walk away when life gets complicated and messy. In real life, you don't get a summer vacation.

My kids are incredibly blessed to watch their dad live out a life of faithful, hard work. Every morning, rain or shine, spring or summer, cold or hot, tired or awake, encouraged or discouraged, excited or bored, bank holiday or not; Mark shows his love to our family by consistently showing up to work. This writes perseverance on the story of our children's hearts.

"Finish well" I've whispered to sleepy, after school eyes.

Or some days, when you turn an olive oil bottle into a weed vase, it's just "Finish, my love! Finish."

Y'all we can do this!
Cheers! *and all the olive oil bottles clank*

~Sara

What Do You REALLY Want For Your Children?!

Lucy just walked out of the house in purple shorts, a red and white striped shirt, and fake camo Toms. Julia left with her "boy" tennis shoes on that she insisted she get for the school year. Not caring one lick they came from the boys section of the shoe department. Neither one, pausing at all with insecurity and doubt about their wardrobe choices.

I shook my head as my little women exited. I love how incredibly diverse, unique and JUST SO THEM, they have grown to be. I decided a million years ago, that clothing was not going to be battle I fought with my girls (or my son). Obviously, if it was inappropriate or outrageous, we'd have to go to the mattresses, but other than that, 'Shake It Off' mom, 'Shake It Off"......

I have struggled my whole life with reading, spelling and math. I had to receive significant help from a tutor just to pass the second grade. School was never just 'natural' for me. Every grade, every course I had to work my bootie off. Therefore, my heart is INCREDIBLY tender to anyone who struggles with these areas. I want my children to champion these subjects because pain was stirred into the paint can of that canvas for me. I want confidence and victory to be their paint brush.

Spelling and reading out loud, has not come as naturally for my Julia, as it has for my other two girls. Every week, we spend hours, HOURS, working on spelling words. I know that my motivation to help Julia conquer every spelling list, oozes out of my own insecurity.

So often, the nudge we give to the rudder of our children's lives, comes from the very deep waters of our own weaknesses, strengths, failures, hurts, victories, challenges and experiences.

You were an athlete and benefited from kind coaches, the physical challenge and the comradery of being on a team. Therefore, there is a high emphasis on sports in your home.

Athletes were cruel and unkind to you. You were cut from the basketball team in the 7th grade, and have loathed all things sports since that day. Therefore, you do whatever it takes to steer your children in the opposite direction of sports.

You quit piano at age 11, and have regretted it everyday since then. Therefore, all of our children are enrolled in piano lessons somewhere..... And BY GOLLY, they aren't quitting :)

The stress of performing a piano piece in front someone, almost sent you to an early grave. Therefore, you are completely ok if your children NEVER play the piano.

You were a complete book worm, and spent your childhood traveling from adventure to adventure between the covers of a book. Therefore, books are valued and encouraged in your home.

You struggled with reading and were laughed at when you read out-loud. You never received a stupid Book-It prize from Pizza Hut, and never once attended an AR party. You could care less if your kids love books.

OR.... You are hell bent on every single one of them living on Pizza Hut pizza for the rest of their lives, and you read like ninny to them every day.

You see, our children can become the sum of our own, personal equations, unless we are VERY, VERY careful.

I've not been a Mama for long, but I feel like 12 years and 4 children later, I have a better understanding, a clearer viewpoint. It is SO incredibly important to know in your gut your personal equation. Walking THROUGH and not AROUND your own childhood, will enable you to sift through why certain things light you up more than others.

In my insecurity about spelling, there are times I have pushed and pushed Julia, and sometimes I've gone too far. If I didn't know WHY I did that, it would be VERY difficult for me to back off and see the harm I could be causing. Even more important, I might create a whole different can of pain for Julia, by being blinded to my motivation for her success. Julia is NOT ME! Julia is apart of a whole new equation that does not have to be tainted and stained by my own.

On the flip side, there are BEAUTIFUL and DELICIOUS lessons we can pass on to our kiddos because of our own equations. Finding this balance is the journey of parenthood.

One such delightful moment happened for me last week. I am kind of in love with words, and have made no bones about passing down my love to my children. They have heard me say countless times, "UGH! Find a different word, that one is so tired!" Now, altogether, we roll our eyes when any Duggar uses the word 'surreal', because they've said it like 345,755 times.... (More money to the counseling fund!)

Any way, Lucy wrote us a song. I love when my kids write anything.... But a song. I used to write songs when I was little. There are many of you who had to suffer through my songs, I'm just so.sorry. But suffer we did not, when Lucy sang this piece for us. I did not take a video, but I have one in my head. And maybe someday she'll sing it for me again. In the meantime, here are the precious, precious words my SEVEN year old penned.

What Happened To This World?
By Lucy Littlejohn

What happened to this world, or did I become evil?
What happened to this world, but did you know that I'm ashamed?
Did you know that I'm loved.
Did you know that I'm saved.

I trust you Lord, I trust you Lord, I trust you Lord.

What happened to this world, or did I die?
You gave me yours, I gave you mine.
You're my God, You're my God, You're my God.

I trust you!
I trust you!
I trust you!
YEAH!
You're my God!  

I don't know your sweet equation. I don't know you child's sweet equation. But I know everyday, we have an opportunity to evaluate our equations, learn from them, decipher where errors were made, and write and rewrite until a more tender and gracious balance is reached.

Happy Writing!
~Sara

How To Help Children Who Are Fearful

All 16 of us waited in a room just beyond the sanctuary. Together, we were all going to enter the celebration of Mama's life. Together, we had walked the long road of Alzheimer's. Together, we would now walk the long aisle of goodbye. I clutched Mark's hand as the ushers pulled open the sanctuary doors. My legs shaking, my heart aching, and my mind unsure I could take another step. The congregation rose, daddy took the first step down the aisle and we followed his lead, like we always had done.

Her fingers pressed boldly upon the piano keys. She did not play from a place of loss and weakness, bur rather a place of sweet victory and blessed assurance. She played from a place of complete confidence and bravery. She gave our family, our Mama, and our Great God a love offering like no other. As one of my mom's nearest and dearest friends, Ms. Janice played, "Because He Lives!" It was as if the sermon of her fingers said, "Walk on dear ones, walk on!"

Mark and I desperately desire for our kids to know their God as the God of the WHOLE WORLD, not just the God of the United States of America. We want them to know the grandeur and majesty of a God who is NOT just the God of the American-Caucasian, middle-class, but the God of all created things. In order to push the boundaries of their boxes, we do not "hide" world wide conflict from them. We do not hush their age appropriate questions about ISIS, terrorism, persecution, torture and death. Naturally, when tackling such weighty topics, we then have to be ready to combat some heavy fears. 

Fear held my heart in captivity for so long, that every alarm goes off in my body when one of my children say. "I am afraid!" I learned from my own story, that fear is a VERY real and a VERY fierce emotion, that when unchecked can paralyze and control every aspect of our lives. 

1. When working with children who are struggling with fear, NEVER EVER ignore the emotion.

Over the weekend, we had SUCH a tender conversation with our kids about fear. One of them shared, "I am afraid ISIS will come to French Camp and hurt us!" Both Mark and I acknowledged the fear, validated how we can TOTALLY understand why this child might be fearful of such a thing, and then we did the ONLY thing we can do as parents;

2. We DID NOT offer false hope!

"Oh baby! ISIS is NEVER coming to French Camp, MS!" 

"Oh baby! We will NEVER be harmed by terrorists!"

"Oh come on, statistically you'll die in a car accident long before you die by the hand of ISIS!"

ALL THINGS NOT TO SAY!

What we DID try and express to our kids was this, "Kiddos, we have something FAR GREATER, FAR DEEPER, FAR LONGER, and FAR MORE SECURE than a make believe promise. We can only offer you the same thing our parents offered us, and it's the BEST OFFERING EVER. The only sure thing we have for you is this; JESUS! His presence and the promises in His word, are the firm foundations we have stood on our whole lives, and we want you to stand on them also. Mama and Daddy have faced MANY sorrows and fears, we too had NO IDEA how we were going to survive some days, but God's grace covered us. God's grace was sufficient and went before us, behind us and all around us. It sustained us. There are little girls and little boys on the other side of the world, sitting in living rooms and expressing the same fear you are expressing tonight, and their Mamas and Daddies CANNOT offer them any type of circumstantial relief with, "Oh kids, ISIS isn't in this part of the world!" Imminent danger DOES surround them in a way it doesn't surround us today, and their Mamas and Daddies are offering their kids the EXACT SAME HOPE we are speaking over you, JESUS! 

3. Jesus is the only kryptonite to fearful bondage!

Positive thoughts pitter-out, numbing tools leave us naked, reality returns, and we face our fears again. Until we give Jesus access into all the shaking and uneasy parts of our fear, fear will be our master. Fear will boss us, control us, paralyze us, motivate us and make us its slave, and then we poison others with our contagious fear.

One of mine and Mark's prayers is, that we will have the clarity to call out and tear down generational sin that has been allowed to seep through. Fear is one of those struggles we have called out. And ONLY through the grace and power of our living God, we plan to help our children tear down fear.

On Sunday, "Because He Lives" was pinged out on an old, out of tune piano, that sits in a dusty Delta church, way beyond her prime. But nothing old and out of tune was shared in the sacred place of those tired walls.

"How sweet to hold a newborn baby,

And feel the pride and joy He gives;

But greater still the calm assurance,

This child can face uncertain days

BECAUSE HE LIVES!"

My fake tattooed body just received a new print. Just the last 3 lines. I'm not excessive you know :) 

I'm going to place these words, painted on a plaque (made by one of my artsy friends) by my front door. As my children's souls come in and out, I'll see those words and my fear will fade, my faith will rise, and I will not be enslaved and held in captivity.....BECAUSE HE LIVES!

~Sara