Motivated

Don't you love it when God lets you know you have a problem you need to work on that you didn't know you had?  I know I have many problems--I have to battle my "known" sins daily--but God spoke to me this morning about an issue...and then called to mind examples just to make sure I got the point.

I was reading out of 2 Samuel--I started in chapter 8 and worked my way up to 12 before I forced myself to put it down (whoever said the Bible wasn't exciting hasn't studied David's life...but that's not the point...)--when I came across chapter 10: 1-4. Basically King David's friend died so he sent some servants to comfort his friend's son. But when David's servants got to the city, the prince's friends persuaded him that David's servants were sent as spies. So he foolishly humiliated them and basically started a war.

As I was reading this, I was thinking, "how stupid of Hanun! Even if he did really think the servants were spies, he could have just said, 'thanks, but no thanks,' and sent them home. Why go the extra mile to humiliate them?"

And God spoke to me.

"Daddy, you only did that so I wouldn't yell at you for not taking the garbage out."
"[Child A], you only did that so that you wouldn't get in trouble."
"[Child B], you're not really sorry, you're only saying that so that I'll get out of your hair."

Now, granted, I don't always say these things aloud, but I most definitely think them way more often than I should. WAY more often.

Why do I do that? Why do I assign a motive to something that is otherwise a good thing? I obviously don't think my children or my husband are spies, nor do I think they would intentionally hurt me so of all people I should be giving them the benefit of the doubt. But so often I don't. And I didn't even realize I was doing it until God spoke to me.

Do you find yourself assigning motives--good or bad--to things your family does? Well, if you are like me, I encourage you to join me and STOP IT. After all, you wouldn't like them to do that to you. Nor me.

"Mommy only feeds us because otherwise CPS would take us away..."

Granted that's one of the multitude of reasons I perform my menial tasks daily, but it is no where near the top of the list. And I would be horrified to think that someone was assigning that motive to my work. But that's the problem when we try to think for others...we usually get it wrong.

I am thankful that God pointed out this problem that I truly need to work on. People are so multifaceted and complex that it is impossible to truly know ever tiny motive that goes into the hundreds of things we do each day. From now on, I will make a concentrated effort to take the things my children and my husband do at face value and not assign a motive consciously or unconsciously (see, if I'm thinking about it, then I will be aware of it when I am doing it unconsciously...smart, huh).

It will make life much simpler that way!

Vacation Review

We just returned home from a 12 day vacation--4 days of which were spent driving. In a truck. With 4 small children. And one grumpy adult (I will leave it up to your imagination as to which adult was grumpy 80% of the trip...) For those of you who may be wondering why my children are not as...pleasant...as usual, here is all that we packed in to those 12 days (well, really 8...) with a quick ONE WORD review for each.

Family Reunion at the Rusty Moose Lodge

Paradise

Hannah's Maze of Mirrors

Confusing

Talking Rocks Cavern

Underground

Gray's Lake

Cold

Fishing/Boating/Park Playing at Raccoon Valley Park

Fantastic

Shooting/Nascar Driving/Aquarium Watching/Bowling at the Bass Pro Shop

Fun

Reiman Gardens and Butterfly House

Beautiful

Hickory Park

Yummy

Great Grandma's House

Relaxing

Rennaissance Faire

Entertaining

Church

Nostalgic

Jordan Creek Mall

Crowded

So there is a brief week in review...minus most eating establishments which could be a whole other post in itself.

Practical Math

At the Toll Plaza...

Toll lady (counting back our change): "1 is 5, 5 is 10, and 10 is 20. Thank you. Have a nice day!"

Connor (from the back of the Yukon): "Wow! She has great math skills like me!"

Future Author

Connor definitely has a bit of a creative bone...


Connor: "Mom, what is that smell?"

Mommy: "What smell?"

Connor: "It smells funny."

Mommy: "Like what?"

Connor: "It smells like a cockroach dying."


----------------------------------------------------------------


Later, at breakfast...

Uncle Tad: "Here, Buddy, do you want a piece of my toast with butter on it?"

Connor: "Ooh! Yes! It looks like a sun shining!"


Figurative language is my son's forte.

Pyrates...

Connor received this lovely pirate ship for his birthday and it immediately became a child favorite in our home. I spent an hour and a half last week helping him put it together (it's a lego toy)...it took them less than 10 minutes to take it apart. Sigh.

At least I got some funny quotes out of the thing!

From the boys:

The pirate ship come with four lego guys that Connor wasn't truly wanting to share. Knowing that he is not allowed to say "mine" and make a grab for it, he ingeniously came up with a new character for Samuel.

"Here's your guy!" Connor says enthusiastically.

Samuel stares at the new character blankly. "It's a sock."

Connor smiles as if it is the best toy in the world. "Socks can be guys."

And my easygoing Samuel agrees, "Yeah! My sock can be a guy."  He picks up a shoe and makes it a boat for his sock captain.

-----------------------------------------------------

From the girls:

I really don't know what I am doing that allows these girls to think of these things. I try to empower them. We watch shows and read books where the girls are the heroes. They are told they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up...

Yet, this is how they play...


In a monotone voice, Ariana narrates her characters' actions, "She fell in love with the guy that stole her."

Honor wasn't much better.

"Don't worry princess! Someday some guy will find you and marry you!"



I have my work cut out for me!

Captive Audience

I love that Ariana is reading so well. I love that she enjoys reading to the dog. I just find it a little disconcerting WHERE she chooses to read...