Establishing a Routine

Establishing a routine is not the same as being in a rut…Routine is conducive to peace and harmony in the home.

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When my girls were small, I was a stay at home mom. My success at motherhood was defined by the level of peace and harmony in our home. I wanted home to be a haven for my husband and children. This became the focus of my life and the core of my being. I wanted everything to be perfect. But, while trying to create the perfect home, perfect meals, perfect family…I became a perfect mess. I became increasingly tired and resented all the work it took to create the perfect world I so desperately longed for.

I now recognize life was not so perfect but my precious daughters did appreciate the stability which the routines in our home provided for them. I realized this when I made the decision to go to nursing school just before my girls entered Jr. High. I had early clinical in Galveston one day and will never forget the phone call I received from my youngest daughter. She called and asked, “Mom, what do I eat for breakfast?” I recommended a bowl of cereal and she replied, “We have never had cereal for breakfast…you always cook”. It was then I realized in my efforts to create the perfect home, I had forgotten to encourage participation. You see, had I allowed the kids to participate with breakfast preparations rather than just serve them a meal, my daughter would have been able to use those skills to prepare her own breakfast rather than eat out of a cereal box. Did it kill her to eat cereal? Absolutely not but had she had the skills to prepare her own breakfast she would have at least had a choice. By establishing routines in the home and incorporating the family in those routines, our days will flow with greater ease.

I can hear you now…”I can’t get my kids to participate”. Well, been there done that and I do not have the perfect answer but I do have some suggestions based on my life lessons…

Lighten up: Make things fun rather than a chore.
Accept less than perfect: So the bed is made and it looks crooked…let it go
Provide praise: Let them know when they do something right rather than remind them of all they did and do wrong.
Make the consequences fit the offense: Minor and major offenses should not have the same consequence or outcome will not be as effective
apologize when you screw up: Allow your child to see you handle mess ups and more importantly how you reconcile your ooopses in life
Love freely: Never ever miss a chance to tell your family how much you love them and how important they are to you.

Now, you can establish routines incorporating the entire family. In doing so you will be providing some of the most important life lessons a child could receive.

Mornings:

When your children wake up do they know what to expect. Is your morning absolute chaos or is it even keel? By establishing a routine in the morning their lives become a little mor predictable. There are fewer unexpected and family time together is spent with the focus on family rather than the drama created by the unexpected. Break the big routine into doable pieces so the goal is no longer unattainable for them. Assign tasks that fit the child’s personality so they enjoy what they are doing. Often times prep performed the evening before can make a huge difference for your mornings. Prep could include: Loading backpacks, signing school work, baths, or laying out clothes for the next day

Evenings

Ahhhh the moment everyone has waited for all day…Coming Home! No one wants to come home to chaos. Home is our haven and for most our greatest amount of time at home is in the evenings after school or work. Life at home can not be all work. By finding balance between chores and play home becomes more enjoyable. Allow you children to work with you rather than assign them independent tasks. In doing so, closer relationships are formed. Organization is key. Think about how you want your evenings to go and plan for them. Get your work list prepared, plan fun activities, and always allow time for talks and prayers at bedtime.

Dinner Routine

To this day my girls fondly remember our times around the dinner table. This was a time we all sat down and interacted with pleasure and respect. Dinner time was when we talked about the events of the day, shared funny stories or just relaxed and took it all in. Dinner was not a time for us to discuss negative subjects or to discipline the children. Turn off the TV and Radio; make dinner about the family. Allow your children to set and clear the table, prepare the meal, and wash the dishes. The result is two fold…the chores are done and excellent family time.

Bottom line is life is pretty unpredictable so why not add some predictability back into your home by establishing some routines.

Love Lee ♥

Establishing a Family Routine – Très Important (crazyadventuresinparenting.com)
Effective Routines for Busy Moms (momblognetwork.com)

Can You Hear Their Cries

Oct7

This morning’s topic on Joni’s Table Top was “Human Trafficking“. Initially my thought was I am not going to watch this because it did not pertain to me but I literally could not change the channel. What I heard was horrific!

IT BROKE MY HEART !!!

Young teenagers are captured, caged, and used 30 to 40 times per day. The children born to these young teens are removed from their mothers and sold to child pedifilers. What a horrific life these young ladies have to endure!!!

CAN YOU HEAR THEIR CRIES???

Rather than turn a blind eye, please take the time to visit the links below and ask God to give you direction on what He would have you to do to help abolish human trafficking.

Love Lee ♥

Human Trafficking in America: Now Florida’s Biggest ‘Invisible’ Crime

Human Trafficking Crimes Common in the US

Modern Day Slavery: Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking Around the World

Taken Movie Review Liam Neesen Maggie Grace Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking: Putting an End to Modern Day Slavery

Human Trafficking is High Profit Business

God Likes it All

Oct5

Why are we so hard on ourselves?

I need to lose weight…My hair looks drab…My make-up needs to be touched up…And on…And on!

You know, God doesn’t partition you into pieces and loves some parts of you and not loves the others. If He did that would make Him human because that’s what people do. Think about it…what do you think when you see a woman coming toward you with too much lipstick? Well, you focus on the lips of course!

We tend to pick people apart rather than accept them for exactly who God created them to be.

God, who created you, accepts and loves every little part of you, even those you deny and hate in yourself. So next time you try to dislike a part of you, just pause, look and remember that God loves it.

God loves in you even that which you dislike.

Go easy on yourself…

Love Lee ♥

Who Do You Trust?

Oct5

What do you put your trust in; relationships, money, job, education, home, or possessions.

Relationships:

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Wow what a heavy load to put on any one person…to ask them to be responsible for our happiness and security. I have been married to Richard for 33 years but to make him responsible for my happiness would be so incredibly unfair. I am the only person who can determine my level of happiness. Abe Lincoln said “Most folks are about as happy as they want to be”. That is so true! It is all about a choice of mindset!

Money:

Hmm…in today’s economy, I am not sure this even requires a discussion. Granted we do need some money to take care of our basic needs but it is amazing how much we could do with a lot less. We are such a spoiled nation. Hurry up…I want it now…but I neeeed it. I love hearing stories from adults that grew up in poverty but never knew it because their home was such a secure and happy place for them.

Job:

Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr

Here today…Gone tomorrow. My precious husband can attest to this one. He had worked for Dow Chemical for 20 years; packed a pager, went out all hours of the night and day, dropped everything when Dow called. Then, Dow decided to downsize middle management and Richard was without a job. In my job I have watched people come and have watched people go and one thing I know is NOBODY IS INDISPENSIBLE!

Education:

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I have a dear friend with multiple degrees but has been out of work for several months now. The common response is “You are over qualified”. Go figure…you work your backside off for a degree to hear you over qualified… Interpretation: We are not willing to pay you what you are worth! I also have another friend with several degrees and she is struggling to find work…AGE does matter!

Home:

Home does not provide stability or security. Stability and security are intrinsic to the person. I lived in a 3800 square foot home and moved out of it to a 600 square foot home and I can tell you the house mattered not! It is the people who make a house a home. Some of my happiest memories occurred in 600 square feet!

Possessions:

Possessions can not bring security! When we moved from our large home in Brazoria to the little bitty place in Clute, I had to make some decisions about what I would take with me. I brought my kids in and said “take what you want”, let some things go with the house, and gave the rest to friends and family. You see, I have the attitude that God owns it all and He will provide. I knew I would not live in 600 square feet for the rest of my life but I also knew that when it was time God would give me exactly what I needed. And, that He did! I am now in 3100 square feet and have most everything I want and all that I need.

Bottom line there is only one source of security and happiness and that is God. “But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ” Philippians 4:19

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Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalms 20:7

So, I ask you…what are you putting your trust in these days? Have you tried God?

Love Lee ♥

Surrounded By His Slendor

Oct1

When is the last time you allowed yourself to be nourished by the beauty of the world? God has filled the world with His beauty for our pleasure and enjoyment.

You say, “But I just don’t have time”. I will tell you what one of my favorite pastors Robin Butler, preached…“You have all the time you are ever going to have. There are 24hrs in a day. It is all about how you choose to spend your time.” You know…He is right!

Daily we choose how we are going to spend our time. Busy, Busy, Busy…

Perhaps we need to re-prioritize how we choose to spend our time. Think about it…Do we need to watch TV every waking minute? I say “NO”. Have you thought about getting the DVR feature so you can bypass all the commercials? Perhaps by reducing your time in front of the TV you could spend more time enjoying the splendor God has created for you.

Each morning and most afternoons Richard and I make it a point to sit outside and enjoy the sweetness of nature even before the sun comes up. Richard calls it “Moon Bathing”. This time allows us to enjoy each others company but there are times we sit and don’t say a word to each other but instead we reflect on our surroundings and the goodness of the Lord.

Think about it when is the last time you watched the sun rise, gazed at the ripples of water on the lake, listened to the songbirds, felt the breath of the breeze, glory in the colors of the sunset, feel the magic of the moon. His beauty is the air for your soul.

Make it a point to enjoy His splendor today!

Love Lee ♥

God Can Use You!!!

Oct1

Have you ever felt there is no way God would ever choose you because of your past? Well, the next time you feel like GOD can’t use YOU, just remember…
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
John the Baptist ate bugs
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer….
AND Lazarus was dead!

There is nothing you have done in your past that God can’t use to bring honor and glory to Himself. It is not all about you but instead it is all about Him so…

NO MORE EXCUSES!!!

Love Lee ♥

Good Morning…

Sep30

The alarm goes off and you drag yourself out of bed. Then stumbling to the kitchen for that cup hot coffee and grunting at anyone who crosses your path on the way. Not a pretty sight!!! Now let’s rewind and try this view…the alarm goes off, you reach over and turn the alarm off, you lay there conscious of you surroundings…listening to the quiet while saying a “Good Morning Prayer”. A prayer with the following components; praise, thanksgiving, guidance, and protection.

Praise

Praise elevates us into God’s presence and power. The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). Praise is an expression of worship; a way of setting aside time to honor and adore our creator and sustainer. If verbalizing praise to God is foreign to you or you have no idea of what to say, I recommend the book of Psalms. David is referred to as “A Man After God’s Own Heart” and it is easy to understand why when you read how he is able to express his adoration for the Lord. Below are an examples of David’s words of praise.

I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High Psalms 7:17

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalms 42:11

I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints. Psalms 52:9

Thanksgiving

How can we as Christians not give thanks to our Father for all He has done for us. He loves us, protects us, and provides for us. And it is those provisions and blessings we should be forever grateful. Having an attitude of gratitude is a challenge if God’s provisions are not recognized as such. Until we recognize God owns it all, is in charge of it all, and distributes it all then we will never see the need to say “Thank You”

In Ephesians 5:20 it says we should “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Again, He owns it all, is in charge of it all, and distributes it all…Everything we have is on loan from the Lord; family, friends, possessions, job, health…EVERYTHING!!!

Now, having said that, I don’t know about you but, if I gave a gift to my child and she never showed any form of appreciation or gratitude or took it for granted, I am not so sure I would keep giving! Using that analogy why would our Heavenly Father want to keep pouring out His blessings on us if we do not show a little excitement and gratitude?

I encourage you to never, never, never take anything from the Lord for granted. Oh did I mention, everything we have is on loan from the Lord…so I guess we have a lot to be thankful for.

Guidance

When is the last time you asked for someone to show you how or the way out of a situation? Well, I feel certain it has been more recent than the last time you asked God…

Perhaps by asking God at the beginning of your day to lead you through it, your whole day might have turned out totally different…Perhaps BETTER! It is so easy to call out to Him and ask Him to be your guide, to allow your path to be filled with ease rather than strife, to place the people who need ministering to in front of you, to lay someone on your heart to pray for, to give you favor in all you do. David prayed for guidance.

Psalms 25:5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Psalms 31:3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Psalms 43:3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

Psalms 73:24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

Psalms 139:10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

He is there for you. He wants to bless you. He wants to lead and guide you. But, once you ask and He gives you what you ask for, don’t forget the Thanksgiving that needs to follow.

Protection

When you wake do you pray a hedge of protection about yourself and about your family? David did…he prayed protection over others in Psalms 5:11, “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” I know for fact God cares for our safety. He is our Daddy God and He cares for us and wants nothing to harm us His children. Below are some additional scriptures show all we have to do is call out to God and He will honor our request.

Psalms 40:11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always protect me.

Psalms 59:1 For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam. When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me.

Psalms 69:29 I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me.

Now, here is the catch…You prayed for protection, now you must thank Him in advance and trust you and your family is under His protection…DO NOT WORRY!!!

So now rather than wake up and you drag yourself to the coffee pot; you might want to start your day with praise and thanksgiving then ask for guidance and protection over your day. THEN…you can go get that cup of coffee!!!

PS: Did you tell God Good Morning?

Love Lee ♥

10 Great Thanksgiving Bible Verses (brighthub.com)
Dwelling In God’s Secret Place and…….. (brighthub.com)
What Do I Do When I Can’t See God? (pastorpaulvbsblog.blogspot.com)
16 praise thoughts from Psalm 7 (panasianbiz.com)

Whatcha Been Eating?

Sep29

: Image via Wikipedia

Think about it, when is the last time you ate?

Not a day goes by we don’t take a moment to refuel our bodies by giving it the nutrients it needs in the form of food. Without the proper foods in our diets we become physically weak, our thinking becomes foggy, and our emotions get out of whack. Just as we become physically weak without our daily food we become spiritually weak when we do not feed on God’s Word.

Amidst all the expectations, demands, requests, thrown at us in life, it is so important to take some time to ground ourselves in God’s Word. In fact we in 2 Timothy 2:15 we are instructed to study. It says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” But there is one thing the Word of God does not do…It does not give us eternal life. Eternal life is found in Jesus and the Bible teaches us of Him; John 5:39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.” Therefore, we look to the Bible to learn more about Jesus and it is a source of strength, it provides clarity of mind, and helps with emotional balance.

A Source of Strength

I have always said “Knowledge is Power” and Proverbs 24:5 reinforces my belief “A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength”. God’s word gives us the instruction we need to prepare us for the challenges we will face on a daily basis. “O Lord be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.” Isaiah 33:2. By reading and studying God’s Word we build the stores of knowledge we will need to draw from when we find our selves in the middle of a weak moment. Those times when we are tempted to compromise our beliefs and morals. The Lord gives us strength when we seek his face. “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. By seeking we will find.” 1 Corinthians 16:11 The power we receive by hiding God’s word in our heart gives us the strength to stand against the temptations we face daily. So…Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Psalms 105:4

For Clarity of Mind

Do you ever have those days when your mind is foggy or days you feel confused. What about those times your thoughts are not focused on God and we begin to believe what a godless world says we should believe. The Bible is very clear about what we should be focusing on in Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing, and perfect will. How will we know God’s voice, will, and His plan for our lives if we allow our minds to be filled with the junk the world offers…Think about it, TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, friends, family, co-workers all bombarding us with negativity but by focusing on God’s word we can renew or thinking and have the clarity of mind to have good judgement and make right choices.

Emotional Balance

There was a time in my life when all anyone had to do was say “Boo” and I was either angry, sad, happy, or hysterically crying…I remember thinking, “what is wrong with me”. Emotions are powerful. They are so powerful they can run or ruin our lives…But, what we need is to plant our feet firmly and take a stand to no longer be tossed about by the ebb and flow of our emotions. Now, I am not going to say this is easy but it is doable and I am living proof. Am I 100%? NO WAY…I am HUMAN!!! But what I do know is that by quoting God’s scripture over my life I am now led by God’s word and am not guided by my emotions. To accomplish this I began quoting this scripture over my life; You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3 Did that take care of it completely? NO…So, I realized I needed to deal with each emotion as it surfaced rather than make a blanket statement. I had to get rid of the emotion that was trying to control me at that moment. You ask how do I deal with the emotion? By combining science with spiritual this is what works for me…

With my eyes in a downward gaze with eyes open and fixed on a single object (natural gaze for negative emotions) I would recite the following script. Fill in the blank with the emotion you are experiencing at that moment whether it is anger, frustration, sadness, or loneliness; whatever the emotion. The last phrase of the script “with God’s unconditional love and acceptance” is said looking upward (natural gaze for spiritual).

“I forgive the ________ and I allow the ________ to forgive me. I forgive myself for any harm I have allowed the _________ to cause my body. I release the ________ and its frequency back to the pits of hell and replace the __________ with God’s unconditional love and acceptance.

What has just happened is…the emotion is neutralized, you forgive yourself, you release the emotion back to where it came from, and replace the negative with the positive because, “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” Romans 8:6. You have not only taken power over the emotion but you have also cleared your mind of any sinful negativity that might hinder the clarity of mind mentioned above, so now then I can now live by this verse;

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Feeding on God’s Word must become part of our daily routine otherwise, how can we possibly be at our Spiritual best? Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Taste and see that the Lord is good…Have You Eaten Today?

Love Lee ♥

An Unexpected Treasure

Sep27

Your entire day can change with one small and unexpected gift.

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It was Sunday and we are at my daughter and son-in-laws and are going to watch football; The Houston Texans vs. The Dallas Cowboys. As anyone knows, no game is complete without food so Brandi, Richard, and I were in the house cooking while everyone else gathered in the game room for the game.

Brandi had planned to grill chicken and make oven roasted potatoes and I brought a big spinach, strawberry, and walnut salad, along with some deviled eggs. A couple of store-bought desserts and it’s a meal. While Richard and Brandi focused on grilling the chicken, I decided to do a little writing on my blog.

As I waited for the website to open my mind drifted and I began to think about my granddaughter Cheyenne. She was at her dad’s and I was missing her. I thought about her cute little giggle, her whimsical personality, and sweet spirit. The more I thought about her the worse I missed her.

Suddenly my mind returned to writing when my website came up on the screen in front of me. As always I check the comment section to make sure I approve all pending comments and there it was my unexpected treasure. My precious Cheyenne had gone on-line and located my blog. Then she went to the page titled “Family Fun” to hide a buried treasure.

The Treasure

“hi meme i just whant to say that i love you and that you are the cooooolest meme ever my memaw sayed that mabbyshe mite come to the tee party.”

There is no greater joy for this Meme than to know my precious granddaughter stopped her day to look up A Love Lee Place, find the “Family Fun” Page, and leave me a treasure.

Treasures come in various forms. I’ve found mine

Have you searched for yours?

Love Lee ♥

Getting it Right

Sep27

Recently I received an email from a precious friend encouraging me to keep up the hard work on my Website. It came at the perfect time as I had become very discouraged trying to learn each of the functionalities for the different tabs behind the scenes. It is a maze of buttons back there…

Just today I was challenged with a post. I began to write “Let’s Play” with focus on the things I missed out on when I was a child when all of a sudden I realized I didn’t miss out on anything at all. So, I started over with a focus on the positive aspects of my childhood but forgot to erase a paragraph of my first attempt at the post. What a mess…Talking about all the wonderful memories I made as a child followed by a paragraph that made no sense at all.

Once you publish, it’s out there for the world to see. Life is much like that…once you put it out there you can’t take it back. Good, bad, or ugly it’s out there! But life is not a blog it is real and while we don’t get “do overs” we do have God’s amazing grace, mercy, and forgiveness and then the slate is clean and our lives are washed white as snow.

I thank God daily for His grace…

It reminds me of a song I love Every Move I Make

Love Lee ♥