Give It All You Got

While Grant was working on his homework one day, he wondered out loud how to spell "squirrel". In the same breath he decided that it didn't really matter. I was prone to agree but stopped myself. I was also tempted to just tell him being the master speller that I am. Instead I told him to go look it up on the e-dictionary. He didn't think it would be a big deal to spell it wrong and he was probably right, but the bigger lesson I wanted him to learn was that it is important to do our best and strive for excellence. Why? Because it's an important key to success in life. Teachers and college profs and employers want students and employees that go the extra mile to do their work at a high level.

But even more importantly it comes in handy in life and ministry. I shudder to think about the many times I have just done what is needed to get by. I've done it in parenting, in my marriage, in friendships and in ministry. As we seek to bring Christ glory in our lives, it is important for us to strive for excellence in all we do.

This fall I did another Beth Moore bible study. It was "The Patriarchs" which is based on Genesis and the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. By the way, it was a GREAT study. In one of her lessons she uses the term "Minimalist", which she defines as one who expends the least possible effort to achieve a desired goal. We have so much going in our lives that we can not give our best to everything. She reminds us that God values excellence.

So even though misspelling squirrel probably won't result in a bad grade and lead to flunking out of 3rd grade, it's a big lesson that reaches beyond the classroom. It's got to be something that they do because they realize God wants our best, not to be confused with perfection.

In everything I want my kids to learn, I have to search my own heart and life. Am I a "minimalist"?

A while ago I was making a meal for a family we know that had lost a loved one. I was mixing up a bunch of homemade stuff and wondered if it was worth all the time and energy. I could have just picked up a couple of frozen pizzas and it would have been a lot easier. But I desired to go the extra mile because this was one tangible way to show God's love to this family and I wanted them to know that His love is like Homemade Angel Food Cake, not store bought frozen pizza.

On the flip side, we've been the recipients of meals over the years. We've gotten some that seemed like a last minute obligation. It was still food that filled us up and that was appreciated. But when we had Maren, a lady in our church brought us a MEAL. There was so much good food, desserts, extra pantry items, and flavored coffee. She really went the extra mile and it was heartwarming.

It is nice to do all the extra stuff for others because they show their appreciation, but what about my own family? Am I doing my best to show them God's love and mine by the thought I put into the food I put on the table and the way I deal with stuff around the house? It doesn't take being a super chef to give a meal served with love to your family! Or to make sure their favorite clothes are clean or the coffee pot is washed and ready in the morning. Maybe it's staying up late to get something done when you'd rather be in bed or watching TV. Sometimes it might be playing that I'm Sully and Annie is Boo (she loves Monster's, Inc.) or listening to a long story about video games that I know nothing about, instead of getting my stuff done.

Christ's love for me compels the extra effort. It makes me desire to do my best because he gave his best for me.

Basketball

Grant is playing basketball again. It has taken a step up in intensity this year. More practices and tournaments on Saturdays. I thought he wanted to play but apparently I didn't discuss it with him because he hates it and wants to quit. I know that he is not going to be a team sports kind of guy long term but we thought it would be good for him to do something active and he might grow to like it. It's a fun sport you can keep playing into adulthood.

The first sign of trouble was one night in December when I went to pick him up at practice. They just aren't a competitive group of boys. One of them was heard saying before a game, "I can't wait to go home and try my new Axe shampoo!" Grant pretty consistently has his hands in his jersey and skips around the court. He just doesn't care! I don't consider myself to be a competitive person, but watching today was just painful! They lost by more than 20 points. When I got to the gym today, (the girls and I didn't make it to the first game) I saw Grant and expected to hear "We Won!" or "We lost", but instead I heard a breakdown of what he had eaten at the snack bar!

I feel torn about whether we should let him quit or not. Both Mike and I feel like we should make him finish out the season (although my resolve is weakening!) There isn't a lot left of the season and there are not a lot of kids in his age group so they kind of need all the bodies they can get! Is there value in finishing what you started? I think there is - it is good to learn to see things through.

But at the same time, as a Mom I feel like I don't want to value "finishing" over my child's gifts, uniqueness and desires. Isn't that important too? Letting them try things and in the process discovering who they are?

Ultimately, I will follow Mike's lead on this one. A few more weeks won't hurt him. I'm just not sure what the more valuable lesson is!

The Call of the Wild

I have an e-friend in Alaska - we've never met face to face but I'm really amazed by her and her family. They are fellow Village Missionaries and have 5 boys. They just moved to Galena, Alaska (look it up on a map) it's out there. You have to fly in and right now it has warmed up to 20 degrees below zero and there is daylight only 4 hours of the day! And I thought northern Minnesota winters were bad! So they are truly on an adventure of Faith and I asked her to write something about what God is teaching her. I love her honesty and I think you will too!

Hi. My name is Tricia Hayek. My husband and I are Village Missionaries in Galena, Alaska, and we have 5 boys aged 9, 8, 3, almost 2 and 11 months. When we first moved here this summer, Michelle asked me to write something for her blog about moving up to bush Alaska with 5 kids. I have continued to put this off, and labored about what to say, and to be honest, I still am unsure of what to write about. We moved to Galena, after almost two years on our first mission field, because we felt that God wanted us here, and not many people were knocking down the door to come. So we felt burdened, and came. To be honest, thinking about it in that light, it made me feel self-righteous. Here we were, willing to come all the way up here away from family and friends when no one else wanted to. God has sure had to work on my pride. He has had to show me that I am here as much (or more) for Him to teach me and work on my heart, than for me being a witness to others. I still struggle with that self-righteous attitude – every time someone tells me, “Wow! I could never move to Alaska!” It moves my pride up another notch. Then the Lord has to start over with me, and remind me that the only way I can make it up here, also, is because He is enabling me, and has called us here.

It's Gotta Be Real!

I cannot believe that it has been 3 months since I last blogged! I knew it had been a long time but time flies! There seems to constantly be a need right now - I'm sure none of you know what I'm talking about! But we went to Wyoming for Christmas to visit Mike's family. I had A LOT of time to think on the drive through North Dakota. And I've been thinking about my blog and how frustrated I've been to not be able to keep up. But there are days when I can hardly string a sentence together due to distractions, tiredness, old age :), and 5 kids, one husband and a puppy! I really don't want to write just to write - only when I have something worth saying which by the end of most nights is only "diet coke and TV!"

And so I want to be more consistent it writing - it's good for me. One of the things that I love the most about Christmas is getting Christmas cards and pictures from all our friends! I get giddy when I get the mail in December! I still have all the pictures hanging on my sliding glass doors and will probably leave them there until at least the end of January and then I still don't have the heart to throw them away so I save them!

One letter we got from a relative of ours was really eye opening. I know all about the ins and outs and troubles this family is going through and the letter from them was totally NOT reality. Everything was rosy and perfect right down to making cookies for the neighbors. It got me to thinking how many people might write things that are not reality. Most people I would have no idea because I don't see them that often. But I would much rather get a letter that honestly explains what is going on good or bad. It's just gotta be real or why bother? I think that I am a good enough friend to handle peoples tough times and I know my friends would be happy to shoulder the burdens in my life even if it does put a damper on the Christmas letter. One letter I read was honest about a divorce in their family. It was sad to read about, but I was glad they told us.

So in the new year I want to be real. I'm going to be honest about all that is going on even when it isn't pretty which is kind of a lot these days. I hope you feel like you can be too. You can always call or email me with all the real stuff in life!

It's good to be back! Stay tuned . . . .

Small Town Life

There are days that I just love living in a small town! Those of you that know me well and my love of shopping might be laughing right now. (And I don't love it that much in the spring when the dairy farmers are spreading liquid manure in their fields.) But Friday, Annie, Maren and I were walking to the little restaurant in our town ("The Brickyard") to have coffee with some friends. There were hay wagons full of big bright orange pumpkins around town. There was one in front of the restaurant with an ice cream bucket to leave money if you wanted to buy one. We had different people joining us off and on at our table because, of course, everyone knows everyone! And much to Annie's delight coffee turned into lunch!

It was a beautiful crisp fall day. The whole town was a buzz with Football fever and as the sign on the door of The Brickyard read "It's Football Season!" Everyone in our town goes out to watch the games. At Mike's last Junior High game of the season, he was hoping they would score - not win - just SCORE! They have a really young team this year, I think it is what they call a "building" season. So they had a few beautiful passes and finally someone caught one in the end zone. 6 points was never sweeter.

The father of the player that caught the passes was excited, and that's an understatement. At first I thought it was really obnoxious! He was running up and down the sideline yelling "That was Bobby!". But as I watched him congratulate his kid and how obviously proud he was I couldn't help but think it was really cute how much he was relishing his sons accomplishments. I am guessing it meant a lot to the kid too. I hope he would have been that encouraging had Bobby fallen and dropped the pass.

I am always that excited about my kids accomplishments, but I feel awkward showing too big of an outward expression of it. I don't want them to get big heads or be "braggy" but sometimes when I worry about that I tend to downplay it too much. I want the kids to know I'm rooting for them win or lose! Maybe the celebration will come with a congratulatory cake at home, but I just want to make sure they know I'm proud of their efforts.


Romans 8:31-32
"What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"