Journey With Jen

there will be days like this.... my momma' said.... Remember that song?  Life.  Sometimes life gets in the way of the happy ending. Life.  When your alarm clock goes off, you walk in the dark hallway, and step in a mess your puppy left you.  Those days when you are so tired, you fall asleep at 5 p.m. on the couch, then wake yourself up by snoring too loud.  Of course, that's when you look around and the kids are laughing at you, then make the mistake of asking for supper afterwards.  (that was a fend for yourself night!) Life.  It's not always easy.  Our jobs.  Our kids.  Even their things.  We have so much pulling at us daily.  Those days when I wake up with a headache... I am already taking Tylenol before my day has really begun.  Not a good sign! I watch old shows and wonder what it would be like to just slow down for a while.  The kids weren't in a couple sports plus extra curricular activities like ...

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.   But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."   1 Peter 4:12-13 God never said that our life would be easy. He warns us that it won't be.  We were at Target and my oldest, Joey, found a t-shirt that he really wanted.  It said, "May your life be as interesting as you pretend it is on Facebook."  When did we start covering everything up?  Glossing over life so that the image looks better? It's not real.   After all of the small talk, then what happens?    I get so tired of fake things. My kids laugh at me because I can just get through growling at them for something and a second later, answer the phone is the most pleasant voice like everything is fine.  (they, of course, do this when my normal mood h...

2007:  Joey, 4th / Luke, 3rd / Faith, K One of the many first days of school.  Of course, in those days, they loved picking out their school supplies.  As you can tell, the boys didn't even mind wearing the same t-shirt.  Lunch boxes were so important.  And, backpacks told your personality.  At that age, my kids were usually getting on each others nerves by the time school starts.  And, I was ready to send them back!!! Fast forward a few years... I have one starting high school, one in junior high, and one in middle school.  This summer they got along better and there was less fighting.  And, I'm not really ready to send them back.  I want a little more time with them.  It is here, ready or not.  Yes, I still made them stop and pose for a first day of school photo shot.  I realize I only have a few more years of these to go.  :( 2013:  Joey, 10th / Luke, 9th / Faith, 6th My kids have grown an...

"For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then,  whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's."  Romans 14:8 Life is precious. Whether it is in the miracle of life.... Or the homecoming of death.   Life is precious. There are times in our lives when God reminds us of this gift.  Reminds us not to take it for granted.  It usually takes something big to get our attention.  The little stuff seems to go unnoticed.  So, God will use something big to turn our eyes and hearts on Him....where it should have been this whole time.  God has been using others to remind my heart of this. One of my own reminders:  My daughter has a friend her own age, Alyssa, who has been through so much.  Her pancreas has never worked right.  This summer, her family went to Minnesota for a huge pancreatectomy surgery.  Alyssa has been there over 20 days now.  She has had a ...

Parenting... It is not an easy job.  There isn't any putting a band-aide on it and dealing with it later.  It is an everyday job.  It is putting your heart out there daily.  Praying each day that your doing what is right for your kids.  Even though sometimes, your just feeling your way through the situation.  As my kids get older, I have had to take a step back and look at them. Not as a parent.  But try to put myself in an outsiders perspective looking at my kids.  How does my kid interact with other kids?  How does he/she interact with other adults?  Would I want to be around them?  Yes, it is hard to look at your kids open and honestly.  But, it is necessary.  We are training our children to go out into this world.  Not, live in our basements and have friends just on Facebook. Take for instance, little "Sally."  She seems like a model child.  Sally is very respectful with adults.  Very much a ...