A Better Tomorrow

On the hard days....you gotta focus on the sunshine coming down instead of the fears that drown you.
 Listen to the laughter of the littles instead of wallowing in the tears.

You gotta lean into the cuddles instead of giving in to the pain.

Look for the beautiful even in the ugly....and rest in the Promises even in the messy broken.

 

You see....today didn't start out a good day. It wasn't even really a good middle of the day...But at the end of the day...when it was all said and done...I did a rewind and this is what I saw:

-A sweet little boy who came up behind me and rubbed my back while I put away dishes.

With a sweet smile who said, "Mommy? You needed this didn't you?"

-A sweet girl who gave me extra cuddles today.

-Friends who keep me smiling.

-A mama who is always there for me.

-A brother who calls to take a little boy out in the field and make his day complete.

-A feisty but sweet girl who keeps me laughing.

-A man who will pray with his kids, tuck them in, make me supper, and sit down with me for quality time when I need it most.

And at the very end of the day:

-A God who paints a masterpiece of a reminder in the sky that says:

"I love you... I love you... I love you"

Today is ending a good day. Because really when it's all said and done....there's always someone fighting a harder battle.

And there's always hope for a better tomorrow.

 

 

The Lost

If we spend all our time serving saved people, blessing blessed people & discipling discipled people WHEN will we have time to connect with the lost?

- Jen Hatmaker

MONKEYSTORY #713

Driving home from the volleyball game tonight for date night with my girls....
Ellie: Wow Mommy! There is just so much toilet paper out here on the trees!
Where did it all come from!?!?
Before I can say a word....
Aubrie: Ellie! God sent all that toilet paper down from his bathroom in Heaven!
Ellie: Are you sure?
Aubrie: Yes silly billy! We don't have that much toilet paper at our house, but God
has the most toilet paper of everyone up in Heaven in his big bathroom!
#lovethesemonkies

The Wildest Affair

"Sharing a vowed life is the wildest affair of all.
True love isn’t found.
It’s carved.
Carved out of sacrifice. Carved out of covenant.

Carved out of two dying to the loneliness of self to be made into one."

 ~Ann Voskamp

MERCY

 

Mercy trumps judgment. Forgiveness wins over offense. Love vanquishes fear. Life conquers death. Always. Jesus is alive and well and moving. Even this week. Even this moment.

Stasi Eldredge

 

Jewels

Crazy Love

"And we’re all a bit crazy and we’re all a bit afflicted and we have a God who sees every bit of it and takes all of us. We have a God who sees hearts like we see faces, a God who hears ache like we hear voices, and we have a God who touches wounds like we touch skin. God sees it all — and He will see to all of it. No one’s crazy can change God’s crazy love."

Ann Voskamp

 

 

Beyond Ordinary

Common Man

“I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name ...will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough...”

― Nicholas Sparks ( The Notebook)

 

Dear Chicks....

I'm watching alot of hibity bibity going on around me lately. And honestly...it's breaking my heart.
Somewhere along the way, we are forgetting to talk about the important things in life.
Like how amazing you are....and that you deserve more than settling for less.

LOVE is so much more than the hokey pokey. Yes....the hokey pokey is a gift from God...and it's beautiful and amazing. But that doesn't hold a relationship together. It's a gift that's meant for the perfect time....and for the right one.

LOVE is about having INTEGRITY. Making the right choices when no one is watching.
Being HONEST. Relationships with lies...even with those "fudging the facts" moments that are meant to protect the other person... are not truth. A man who keeps his word and follows thru with what he says is a good man. The foundation of your relationship will crumble and fall apart without complete honesty from each other.

I've never been into the "princess" stuff....but ladies: If he doesn't treat you like a priceless treasure and a princess when you are dating, what makes you think he will when you are married?

You are worth more! You deserve the best of the best.

RESPECT and KINDNESS are huge.....
HARD WORKING and DEDICATION are things you want in your man. If you find a man that will work hard, has respect everyone around him---even when he doesn't agree with them---and he is dedicated to being kind hearted....that is a keeper!

BIG-HEARTED......these men will stop and give attention to the small things in life....like little kids and "please and thank-yous". Because they realize the small things in life are really the big things.

FORGIVENESS....you want to look for a man who believes in GRACE and forgiveness. Life is hard. We are human and there will be a lot of mistakes made along life's journey. We cannot love well if we don't have grace with each other.

FRIENDSHIP.....you are gonna want and need a best friend in the man you are with. One you can be your complete self with...and hold nothing back. One who loves you even when you have no speck of make up on. One who you can have fun with and be crazy silly with. One who will hold you while you do the ugly cry and drench him with buckets of ick and snot. I can promise you this with all my heart.

FAITH....Look for a man who believes in God and realizes there's a bigger picture to our life here on earth. That Heaven really does exist.

As girls...most of us don't want to be alone. We were created to love and be loved. But settling for less just so you don't have to be alone isn't the answer. Think about this: If you settle for less just so you have "someone" you are robbing yourself of something even better if you stay with the one who isn't meant for you. Wait for the one who was created just for you. It will be so worth it!!

And you beautiful chick....reading this....you are worth the wait as well.

With lotsa love and hugs...Mama Monkey

MONKEYSTORY #712

Ellie: Mommy! I have had a really big booger in my nose for 1 whole week!
I don't know why it won't just come out!
Me: Dear Lord.....will my life ever consist of conversations other than boogers and poo??

Later in the day:
Gabe: MOMMY!!! ELLIE HAS SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOU! YOU'RE NEVER GONNA BELIEVE THIS!!!!
Ellie: Mommy...I know you are gonna be really mad at me and I don't want to get in trouble.
Me: Will someone please tell me what is going on??
Ellie: I think I swallowed a leggo.
Gabe: She did Mommy! She really did!
Me: TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.....RIGHT NOW!
Ellie: Well when we were going to bed last night, I put the little leggo head in my mouth so
Gabe couldn't steal it when I went to sleep and now I don't know where it went! I really think it went down in my tummy! When I woke up this morning it was gone.
Gabe: It's ok Mommy! Don't get upset...I've been talking to God about it.
Me: Really? Really? You didn't think you should come talk to ME sooner about this?!?!!?
Gabe: Well I can't hear what God is saying about it. I don't what He's saying about it. But if it went in her tummy maybe it will come out in her poo!
Me: Can someone please notify PapaMonkey that I will be vacating this village??
I will be going to a tropical island....with beaches...sunshine...and no poo or boogers!!!!

STRONG

There's this little boy.
A very adorable, crazy, adventurous, fun, full of life little boy.
Today he grew up...right in front of me.
Today this little boy looked at me and said:
"Mommy! What time are your students going to be here today?
And will they be boys or girls? Because I think the girls are really gonna love my outfit!"
I looked at him standing there with a pair of jeans....shirtless....proudly wearing the new
necklace we had made today. It read: STRONG
Today we talked about how strong people make good choices even when it's hard.
I hope this same little boy remembers this concept as he becomes a man.
I hope he remembers that being strong doesn't always mean being the coolest boy.
That being strong doesn't always look popular.
That being strong might not always necessarily come in the form of big muscles.
That being strong means love will always be greater than hate.
That being strong means "I'm sorry and I forgive you".
That being strong means you never give up.
And most of all...I hope this little boy never forgets:
There is a God who fights all our battles for us...and we are strong because of this.

MONKEYSTORY #711

OVERHEARD IN THE MONKEYHOUSE THIS PAST WEEK:

PapaMonkey: Hey toughen up Buttercup!
BabyMonkey: I am not a buttercup!!
PapaMonkey: You are an adorable buttercup.
BabyMonkey: I NOT BUTTERCUP! I AM CINDERELLA!

 "Mommy!!!! Come quick!! Come look!!! I pooped a Mama poop
and she had lots of little baby poops!!!!"

"Mommy! I picked this big booger. Want to come see it? Look how big it is!
But I used a Kleenex just like you told me. Man, it feels so good when I get all those boogers out!"

Me: Who went to the bathroom and didn't flush the toilet?!?!?!?
All monkies: "NOT ME!!! NOT ME! NOT ME!!!!"
Me: What have I told you guys about that!?!?
Gabe: Well I did see that earlier, but it wasn't my poop!
Me: How do I know that it wasn't you?
Gabe: Mommy! My poop isn't the same color as that poop! That's how you know!

Glory Days

Hanging out with coughing little monkies all day (after a sleepless night)....drinking coffee....slathering on Vicks....drinking coffee....wiping yucky noses...drinking coffee.....giving breathing treatments....wasn't exactly how I had planned this Sunday to go.
We had church, football party, food, and fun on the agenda.
However...tucking in little monkies tonight with more Vicks and warm lemon juice and raw honey and cinnamon tonics...I realized these days are the glory days.
The glory days of parenting end up being just like these:
We weren't running here and there and everywhere.
We did face painting.....in our own house.....not waiting in line with 100 million other kids.
Sure, one monkey may have said to me: "Um, Mommy, I don't think this is what it's supposed to look like!" But hey...we face painted.
We all layed on the living room floor at one point and gave back massages. These monkies give the best of the best :)
We made a 30 minute funniest home video to send Uncle Isaac in Ireland.
We cuddled....a lot.
We had no where to be at any certain time. Our kids were all under the same roof.
And as I'm held close tonight by my bestest friend....the man who keeps me going....who keeps me sane.......I'm thinking I need to start lingering in the glory days now....and being grateful for the here and now.
Before these days become memories of "remember when." #blessedmamamonkey

JOY

Psalm 126:5-6
Those who sow with tears
    will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them.

 

God doesn't promise that the outcome will always be what we wanted or expected.....

But He always promises JOY.

 

 

Motherhood

I am overwhelmed, infatuated, love struck and completely unhinged. Especially on the nights they bring in wild flowers and all the ever-loving mud in the world. I am full and fulfilled. I am older and comfortable in my skin. I am about the work of raising tiny humans. I am out of my mind and in my calling and desperate for five minutes alone and a lifetime together. I want to stop time, tame my fears, bottle their dreams, live a hundred summers of dripping, sticky, chocolate swirl ice cream. And in between I hang onto my faith, my temper, and my sense of humor with my fingernails. These are the good days, the glory days, the slow-as-molasses days. These are the fast years, the wonder years, the how-do-I-find-words years.

 - See more at: http://momastery.com/blog/2013/06/10/for-the-dog-days/#sthash.eSuzwQo4.KXZNjq1h.dpuf

BeHappy

Lord I Need You

 Lord I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You're the one that guides my heart


Lord, I need You, oh I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You


Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me
Yes where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me


So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay

 

http://youtu.be/_rR_Rdb1CTE