Let me take a moment to explain before I get on with my post. Church Lady is not a name that I gave myself, it's one that a friend of mine gave me a little while back. She referred to me in a conversation as "the church lady" one afternoon when we were sitting on her front porch and she now calls me that from time to time. I think she meant it in a good humored way, at least I hope she did! Anyway, so that's where the name came from just in case you were thinking that I had a strange connection to the character from Saturday Night Live (is that showing my age?!).

So here's the confession part....you're hoping for something dark and scary aren't you? Something that you would want to run and tell all your best girl friends I'm sure. So here goes....I have had a cleaning lady for the better part of my almost 14 year marriage. Riveting and shocking I know..... I have loved each one that I have had; yes there have been many over the years. So many in fact that I cannot name them all.

For years, I attributed the importance of a good cleaning lady to the fact that it would give me time to play with my kids and do the other things in my life that were more important than taking responsibility for the mess that I would make in my own home. Besides, it was providing someone with much needed income and in each case it did. So for years each week or every other week, what ever the case might have been, I would have someone come to clean my house. It was fabulous to say the least!!!!

So what's the big deal???

I gave up my cleaning lady habit!!!! I confess that it was a little emotional for me (yes, you read that correctly!). But I did it. Why?

For a couple of reasons and for one that I didn't realize until I was cleaning my house myself the other day. For years my "weekly habit" was enabling me. It was enabling me to make a mess and not worry about totally cleaning it up (after all "E" would be here in a few days); it was enabling me to nap each day (yes, I nap!!!); but worst of all was what it was teaching my children! Let's stop here for a moment....

If you have a cleaning lady, I am happy for you and glad that you have one. I am not judging you or trying to put the cleaning business out of business. Heaven knows we all need work right now and if this is your way of making ends meet, then you go and clean to your hearts content for any family that will have you! Let me reiterate my point from earlier, I love me a good cleaning lady!!!!!

So back to my discovery....
My kids are at the ages where they began to realize that if they made a mess, our cleaning lady "E" would clean it up for them because she would on the days that she was here. I then discovered that they didn't know how to clean, short off putting clothes in the hamper and making their beds. Why should they? They rarely saw me do it! (No wonder my sisters think I'm the prissy one!) A stark contrast to what I saw growing up...we had a period of time where my mom cleaned houses (how's that for irony?!).

So the change....
I would LOVE to say that I voluntarily did this but that was not the case. It was something that I felt was the right thing to do for my family and my husband happily agreed if not encouraged. So, I canceled my service at the beginning of the year (I know that was only 2 weeks ago!).

I now clean my house and the kids clean the upstairs with me since this is their territory. We dust, change sheets, clean bathrooms and floors together and it is so rewarding!!! We have a system and thankfully everyone truly has a favorite job that they like to do. When it's finished, we've accomplished something BIG together and the kids have learned a new skill! The help actually makes it less of a burden and not so stressful.

If you haven't involved your kids in the cleaning process, I urge you to do so before it's too late and their brains turn to mush (ours were on the verge!). Or even worse, they think there will always be someone there to clean up after them! I may have lost some time with my oldest but hopefully there's still a small glimmer of hope there (the same grip that you have with a Wii remote can also be used to grip the handle of a vacuum cleaner!).

So to those that have always cleaned their own houses, "you go with your bad selves!" I have now joined you and hope I'm better for it, if not me then at least my kids will be for learning the simple art of dusting.

If you are in this same situation and need help recovering from your cleaning lady addiction I am totally with you and here to help :-) .

Bible Study is starting soon!

If you live in the Franklin or surrounding area we would love for you to join us!!!!

We are going through Ruth: Loss, Love and Legacy by Kelly Minter starting Thursday, January 21st. We'll meet each Thursday evening from 7:00 until 9:00 at Cumberland Church on Franklin Road for seven weeks.

All you need to do is grab a copy of the book from either a LifeWay store near you or Kelly Minter's website and show up!!! There's no outside cost this time around, and registration is simple. Send an email to kristen@cumberlandonline.org to let me know you're coming just so I have an idea of how many women to expect. Please feel free to invite your friends, this is for ALL women, not just those that attend Cumberland!!

Need Your Help!

Good Morning!! I have been continually reminded over the last two days of how unique and different all of my "little snowflakes" are. Hope you have as well!

Anyway...I'm working on something and I'm in need of some help. Many of my friends have approached me about Bible studies for their young girls. So in an effort to help them but not let too much out of the bag at the moment, here's the questions that I want to ask.....

1. What do you know about God now that you wish you knew when you were a kid (say between the ages of 8 and 12)?

2. What do you think is the biggest struggle for girls in this age range (day to day not necessarily spiritually)?

3. Do you go on "dates" with your daughter? If so, what do you guys enjoy doing the most?

If you don't have any answers that's not a problem, I just thought I'd ask.. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or comments that I haven't thought of yet. You can comment on this post or send me an email!

Thanks for your help and I'll continue to "spill the beans" a little bit more each week!!!!

Have a great day and enjoy your snowflakes whether it be your friends or your kiddos!!!!

Snowflakes....

Happy New Year(as if you haven't heard that 5 thousand times all ready!!). As you can tell, I took some time off but I'm back...

The morning sky is spitting snow flurries today, which my children excitedly take for snow flakes. Two totally different things to adults but to kids they're one in the same. But none the less, they bring excitement and the hope that school will be canceled.

So my daughter, Claire, and I were looking out the window into the backyard this morning looking at the snow falling. When she made a very simple but profound statement. She said:"Mom, do you see the snow on the top of the thing that holds the hose? If you look very closely at the snow flakes (that have landed there), you will see that they are all different."

They are all different....

Now Claire has not realized the profound statement that she has made to her mother, nor did she have any idea that it would end up as the start to a blog post! But here goes...

God used this moment for me to remember that though women may appear similar on the outside they are a total "one-of-a-kind" on the inside. In ministering to them whether it be through coordinating Bible studies, bringing a meal, or just being a friend they all require a unique and specific approach. There is no "one size fits all" mentality here, there can't be! We were all fearfully and wonderfully made by God with qualities unique to how He made us for the purpose that He has called us to.

Think about your friends... Do you interact the same way with each friend in your circle of relationships? I thought I did until I really started to think about it... See what you find to be true for you.

There's more.....

My kids!!! For so long I've wanted them to be predictable (you know you want that to, otherwise we wouldn't try so hard to get babies on a schedule!!!). How much simpler would life be if your kids (in my case 4!) were predictable like the snow flurries (flakes, if you're a kid at heart!!). When they begin falling down you pretty much know that they're going to land on the ground somewhere. They look pretty similar to one another in size and shape on the outside. They'll generally last as long as it stays cold enough and then they'll melt when it gets warmer. Again, don't you wish your kids were that predictable?!

OK, maybe not that predictable....

Claire's profound statement rings true again. While my kids appear very similar on the outside (have you seen my kids?), the truth is is that they're totally different on the inside. There's for sure not a one-size fits all category for parenting this crazy brood of kids!! So I'm reminded again, that when I look at what's on the inside (figuratively speaking of course because my 7 year old would totally want to do that!!!) my four are completely and totally different. They're created with different talents, goals, tastes, dispositions, and range of emotions just to name a few. For instance, my "spicy" one is also my most nurturing and caring while my laid back one is the most imaginative. So the best plan of discipline for Tucker is not the best for Jack nor the best plan for Claire nor for Ellie. The talents that need to be nurtured in one are not the same for the others. You get the picture here I'm sure!!! Do you have some "snowflakes" at home that you need to reexamine? I know I do!!!

So snow flakes are beautiful falling from the sky together but they're extraordinary when you stop to look at how different they truly are!