Tag: God is good

May 18, 2017

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

Hey everyone! It’s been a little bit since I’ve checked in. Life has been crazier and busier than usual and I’m loving everyday!

The kids are growing like weeds right before my eyes. I try to make sure to take a few moments to savor these moments as I know they will be grown up before I know it. Everything is not always great as we have the expected, and unexpected, challenges that go along with kids, large families, special needs kids, and introducing them to new people. We handle each challenge with as much patience and optimism as we can. (Note that I am saying ‘we’ as I have met someone very special. He has been an answer to so many of my prayers and I thank God for bringing him into our lives. God not only answered my prayers but exceeded my expectations in so many ways.)

We are still homeschooling and have 14 days? of school work left to finish out this year. That too has had a few challenges especially with one of my girls. Again we work through the problem and try to find the best possible solution for everyone. Parenting is not easy and you must stay on your toes at all times. The solution for today’s challenge may not be the solution for tomorrow’s challenge and it may not be the solution for the other children so you have to stay open minded and be creative. It really does help to have someone else that I can go to for ideas on occasion.

Monday was my youngest child’s 4th birthday! Where has time gone? He requested a Stegosaurus Pull-Apart-Cake and was so excited when Momma was able to throw one together. We sang to him and had cupcakes for our afternoon snack as Momma had a dance that evening. Yesterday I was able to take him out for his birthday meal. (This is a tradition we started a year or two ago and the kids all look forward to it.) He wanted a cheeseburger, chicken nuggets, french fries, ice cream, and a soda pop! We went to Dairy Queen and got most of his request. He was such a happy camper. He ate half of everything, except the ice cream which he finished, and brought the rest home so he could share.

After eating we went to Walmart so I could grab a few groceries and he was able to pick out a toy and a balloon. He had been so sleepy while we were eating that I was afraid he might not make it through his dinner. He did fall asleep on the way back home though. As soon as we got home he was awake and ready to show off his new treasures. Life is good and I hope this is something that he will remember in the days to come.

Then we have square dancing. I’m not sure if I told you all this before or not but I have been made the Publicity Chairman for the Silver Fox Squares! I am also the caller’s assistant at the Clay Allemanders club.  We have new classes starting up in another location too and upcoming dances and such to plan and organize.

We’ve had so many fun and exciting adventures and so many more to come. I better go for now as I’ve just put the kids down for naps and I have few chores to finish up before getting ready for the Luau tonight….

I pray everyone has a blessed week!

 

April 22, 2017

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

Yesterday was just one of those blah days. I was in a blue kinda mood and just didn’t seem to be able to shake it. There was not any one particular reason for the way I felt but there were a few different circumstances that did contribute to it. I was just sad.

Sometimes that is ok. We all feel different emotions at different times and it is important to acknowledge our feelings and allow ourselves to experience them. We just need to remember not to dwell on whatever the problem is and not to get stuck in those depressed states.

Yes, sometimes that is easier said than done. I did my best to keep with my normal schedule and routine as I worked through some of the things I was dealing with. It is also nice to have a couple of close friends to confide in and talk to.  They help me a lot even when they don’t think they have done anything special. Just having a listening ear is sometimes all someone needs to lift their spirits.

Of course, my kids always help to lift my spirits with their craziness through the day. They don’t let me sit for long which is a good thing when I feel down. Getting up and about helps to shake the blues off really quickly too. It is really hard not to laugh at some of the silly faces they make. Laughter really is good for the soul.

When the kids went down for naps I did spend a little quiet time in my closet. I went over some verses I had copied down in my journal and just listened to some relaxing music for a bit. That was very soothing and by the time the kids were up from their naps I felt much better.

Yesterday evening was square dancing and I went like I normally do. I’ve been working quite a bit to advertise our club and events. It was so encouraging when we had several members from another club show up to dance with us. Just being around so many people who were having such a great time really made my heart happy. It’s hard to be sad when you see so many smiling faces and hear all the laughter that went along with the fellowship we enjoyed.

There are things we can do to help ourselves like surrounding ourselves with happy people. We can get out, even if it is just to walk around the outside of the house and back, the fresh air and activity can do wonders. We can find hobbies that require us to interact with others. Also, for me, making my relationship with God a top priority really helps. He can give us the answers that no one else can.

I know there have been a lot of celebrities coming forward to talk about mental illness and depression. I know that it is normal to feel depressed from time to time. I hope everyone else knows this too. However, if the feelings of depression don’t go away then you should ask for help. Remember there is no shame in asking for help.

March 16, 2017

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

I had planned on putting together a study unit for Easter, similar to what we had done for Advent, but it didn’t happen. It is still in the works and I will continue to work on it a little at a time. I’ll also be sure to share it with you all as well.

This Easter was a little crazy as I’ve had two children who have been consistently trying my patience on a daily basis. I know this is just a phase and it will pass soon but it had been utterly exhausting.

Luckily I have family and friends to support me and offer advice. Sometimes the best thing you can do is just take a step back and look at things through someone else’s eyes.

We have truly been blessed with the friends we have and there is one person in particular who has went above and beyond to help me lately. He may never know what a blessing he has been to me and my family over the past couple of months. He is so awesome with my kids that it is truly a blessing.

He is a constant source of encouragement and he motivates me to be a better person. The crazy thing is that we probably never would’ve met had I stuck to my idea of what I thought I needed. God knew all along and has so far exceeded my ideas and expectations, just as he always does. It is so amazing to see what God does when you let go and hand your life over to him.

So getting back to Easter, we didn’t do a big get to together or go visiting like we normally do. We stayed at home and had a small cookout with family. It was nice and it was simple.

My older kids did hide some eggs for the younger ones yesterday. The younger kids were too smart and found them all in a minute or two. This prompted the older ones to ‘up their game’ and rehide them so they could have more of a challenge. The challenge was accepted and they found them again super quickly.

It was time to eat after the second go round and everyone was starving. My youngest two surprised everyone with the amount of food they ate yesterday and the lack of complaining about what they didn’t want to eat.

Of course, the kids were all super excited and didn’t want to go to bed. They were hoping to see the Easter Bunny… and get lots of candy.

Well this morning they awoke to a big Easter basket on the kitchen island. It had a small toy for each child and some candy and games as well. I decided several years ago that doing one basket was much easier than individual baskets. I also want to try to keep the focus on the real reason for Easter which does not involve a bunny or candy.

After breakfast we had a mini lesson using our Resurrection Eggs that I found at the thrift store last year. I will post a few pics at the end of the post. We went over the meaning of each item and talked about the real meaning of Easter before letting them inspect the basket.

We didn’t buy new Easter outfits, I had thought about it though, as we could all still wear the outfits we bought for big sisters wedding last year. My dress hadn’t even been worn, or tried on until yesterday, as I had decided on a different dress.  I did find a couple of cute hats for the girls that match with their dresses too.

Later this afternoon, probably after nap time, we will make the Empty Tomb Rolls. I usually try to make them the day before but it just didn’t happen this time around. I will go over the Easter story again while we assemble the rolls.

Then hopefully we will get to color some eggs later on this afternoon as ‘Mr. Awesome’ has said he will come by later today to help with that. I will try to add some of those pics to this post as well.

Life is never going to be perfect and things are going to happen beyond our control. So we need to stop waiting for that ‘perfect moment’ and just live in this moment. Stop procrastinating and looking for excuses as to why you can’t do things. Instead focus on ways to make things possible in some way, shape, or form. Make those special memories and be sure to let each and every person around you know how much they mean to you.

We are living in uncertain times right now and we have never been promised a tomorrow. So take a moment to appreciate all that you have been blessed with and cherish this moment and time in your life.

I pray that you have all had a very blessed Easter!

It took forever to get a decent picture where almost everyone was smiling and (almost) looking in the same direction. Big sister didn’t want to wear her matching dress which was OK. The little girls had snuck into some chocolate while I was getting ready. They smeared their chocolate hands on the fronts of their dresses too. We got them spot cleaned and off to church we went. It was really nice to have 6 of my 9 kids in church with me today too.  While at church the same two girls tore holes in their dresses…. I will have my work cut out for me trying to repair them… but that’s life!

We did make some Empty Tomb Rolls after nap time. This was a fun experience and the kids helped assembling the roles while discussing the meaning of each ingredient. Then they had them for a snack.

We also managed to squeeze in some egg coloring! Oh what a fun day we had!

Two Monks and an Olive Tree

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog2 Comments

I read this story some time ago and it was told over the radio station not long ago. I just thought I’d share it with you all as well.

Some time ago there were two monks who had planted young olive trees at about the same time. Continue reading “Two Monks and an Olive Tree” →

You are worth more than rubies

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog2 Comments

She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. –Proverbs 3:15

I am writing this for my beautiful daughters but it really could be directed to all of the women out there, young and old.

First and foremost, I want you to know how much I love you! I have loved you since before I even met you. I don’t want you to ever doubt that in any way. As your mother it is my responsibility to protect you and look out for you. Please don’t ever think that I am trying to be critical or trying to discourage you. I only want the best for you and if I say something about a guy you are interested in I am only being honest because I have learned some traits to look for and some traits to avoid. In the end I will be there for you no matter what and I want you to know that.

I want you to know how wonderful you are. Everything about you is perfect and I don’t want you to ever feel like it isn’t. How do I know that? Because God was your creator and He makes no mistakes. He has lovingly created you and He only wants the best for you because before you were my child you belonged, and still belong, to Him.

I know life is hard and especially when it come to the romance department it can be really tough. I want you to remember that you deserve the best in whoever your partner is. I want you to set your standards high because you don’t need to settle. You should never settle because God has someone in mind for you and that someone will not only meet those standards you set but he will exceed those standards. How do I know that? Because God has a plan for each of us. He loves us and truly only wants the best for us. He can do the impossible.

You deserve to be loved, but not just loved like the general idea of love, you deserve to be cherished. You deserve someone who is loyal and honest. You deserve someone who longs to be with you just as much as you long to be with them. You deserve someone who will look after your heart as they look after their own. If you will take your requests to God He will supply. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but according to His timing which is always right on time.

So for now I want you to take things slow. Learn to be patient and trust in the Lord. Develop your relationship with God because His love is the only perfect love. When you have a close relationship with God everything else will start to fall into place.

Use this time wisely. Ask God to help you and to show you the areas that need improvement. He is molding you and training you into the person He wants you to be. When we don’t give Him control then it makes this process so much more difficult.

Don’t just pray for yourself but pray for this future partner. You may not know him right now, you may live in different zip codes, or you may know him and not even think of him as ‘the one’. God knows who He is. Ask God to work in His life as He is working in your life. When you both are ready God will reveal him to you.

Don’t chase guys or waste time on guys who refuse to meet your standards because when God puts His plan into motion the right guy is gonna find you! I promise! I joked before that the guy for me would have to be driving the UPS or FedEx truck as I never went anywhere for anyone to find me. I was wrong. God put me where I needed to be and He will do the same for you.

Don’t let these guys tell you that your standards are too high! Don’t let them make excuses!  Your standards are your standards and they have no right to judge them. This is just a sign that they are not the one for you. When you find the one God intends for you then you will be just what He was looking for, just as He will be just what you have been looking for.

Don’t settle because you think that you will be able to change them! That kind of change can only come from above. It is possible that the guy you like right now may be the guy God has chosen for you but it may be that God is not finished with him yet. God is working on the perfect man for you.

I may not be a relationship expert but I have made my fair share of mistakes when it comes to not waiting on God. I don’t want you to make those mistakes and deal with the heartache that goes along with them. Every heartbreak will leave a scar and will make it that much harder for you to love someone in the future.

I have faith that there is someone out there who is waiting for you. He has made his list and he knows what he is waiting for. You are worth the wait!

Daughters, you are beautiful, smart, funny, and wonderful. Anyone that thinks otherwise or puts you down is not someone you need to be with. Please remember that you are a daughter of the king and He wants what is best for you. If you trust in Him He will provide you with so much more than your heart can imagine.

I am praying for each of my children and their future/current spouses. Times are especially hard right now and it will be so much harder for our children to remain pure and to keep their focus on God.

Lord, I ask you today to watch over these young women. Show them how beautifully and wonderfully made they are. Lord, guard their hearts and keep them pure. Be with them as they wait on you and help them to develop the character traits that they will need for their roles as wives and mothers in the future.

Please watch over their future partners and protect them. Keep them pure, guard their hearts, and help them to keep their focus on You, Lord. Help these young men to develop the character traits that they will need to be the husbands and fathers they will need to be in the future.

Thank you for you mercy and grace on all of us. Amen!

Below are some links that young women and their parents can check out:

Traits of a Godly Wife

Having the Right Perspective When Praying for a Future Husband

Praying for Your Future Husband: Preparing Your Heart for His

How to use the Bible to Pray For Your Future (or Current) Spouse

6 Prayers For Finding A Godly Spouse

12 Ways to Pray for Your
Child’s Future Mate

Five Prayers for Your Daughter

Prayer for my daughter who seeks a relationship.

A prayer for my daughter to find a godly husband.

 

** Featured image is from Mr. Amari Soul on Facebook.