Focus

Nolan has made so much progress since he was a little guy. Just the other night he asked to read to me (which he never does), and I sat down to listen. As he read in his robot monotone voice, my eyes welled with tears. I didn't focus on the fact that he is way behind his peers. Nor did I think about the ever widening gap between him and his friends. I focused on the fact that he was READING.......to me. If I let myself dwell on the "what ifs" and the "if onlys" and the "whys" all the time, I would fret with worry and feel discouraged. Instead I'm going to focus on right now and how far he has come and all of the obstacles he's worked through. I've been thinking a lot lately about how I'm choosing to direct my focus. As a runner, when I run a longer race, I guess I take a similar approach. I try not to focus on how many more miles I have left, but how many I've already accomplished. Nolan has a long race ahead of him, but I'm going to focus on the miles he's already conquered.

Humbled

"It's so easy being good!", Alaina declared about 2 weeks after school started. She hadn't had to pull a color yet and still hasn't since. But I quickly deflated her head a little and gave her some words of caution, "Be careful, because one day you might be talking to a friend without thinking while your teacher is teaching and she might ask you to pull a color." One of my goals as a mother is to make sure my kids are humble. As special as I think my kiddos are, they will not be under the false notion that they can do no wrong or that they know everything. We all fall short of being perfect. The sooner we realize that, the better off we are. I am proud of Alaina for being an obedient student and like the fact that she is excited about being "good". But as I work on being a more humble person, I will be helping my children be more humble too.

An Open Window

I am loving this weather and this time of year. And so is someone else. If there is an open window, Miss Nosey Pants is peering out trying to see what everyone is up to. She loves feeling the wind in her face and having her brothers and sister and neighbor kids come by and tell her hello through the window. She feels like she is part of the "gang". Too bad her legs are too short to see out the back window.

Choices

So I have had a really stinky rotten attitude lately. And last week it came to a head when I confessed my horrible attitude to a close group of non judging friends. I feel guilty for feeling so negative when I know and am thankful for so many things in my life. And I see people everywhere around me facing hardships that I don't have to endure. But ever since my little meltdown, I am feeling much better about things. I am CHOOSING to feel better and to have a better attitude. Because I believe it is a choice. There is always something to be thankful for in every situation even if you can't see it right away. I am also CHOOSING to be content. Because frankly, that is a choice too.

I am reading a really good book called The Power of a Positive Mom and this passage really struck a chord with me: "Contentment is the opposite of self-pity. If our hearts are content because we trust in God as our loving provider, then we'll tend to keep our eyes off our troubles. But if we dwell on our wants or our difficulties (great or small), we will lose sight of the provisions God is granting us." For me, that says it all.

I Have a Confession

Hello, my name is Jill Lynn Rogers and I DON'T have it all together. My house isn't perfect, my marriage isn't perfect, my kids aren't perfect, my life isn't perfect. I fall short every single day. I struggle with worry, doubt, and anger. And that is why I am thankful for Forgiveness, Grace and Hope and the Knowledge of wonderful and glorious things to come in my eternal future. My God gets me up in the morning and my God gets me through every day. I try my best, but I always know I have room for improvement. I can be an even better wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, and child of God.

"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father encourage you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us, and through his grace he gave us a good hope and encouragement that continues forever."
~2 Thessalonians 16-17

A Day of Firsts

I sent my children off to school today. It was a day of firsts around here. Alaina's first day of Kindergarten and Brendan's first day of Middle School. I think I was a tad more sad about Brendan than Alaina. Where has the time gone? Seems just like yesterday they were toddlers.

I keep telling them to stop growing.

But they are not listening.

I can't believe Brendan is a tween. Slow down, son. Slow down.

Do Over

I would like to request a do over for summer. One where I'm hardly yelling and the kids are bickering less. Oh, and where I'm doing educational and meaningful activities with my kids EVERY SINGLE DAY. Seriously though, there were some things I wanted to do with them that didn't get done this summer. Like I was going to do "Art Wednesdays". And guess what? There was not a single Wednesday this whole summer where an art project was produced. Okay, maybe I'm being too hard on myself. Our summer was filled with a wonderful trip to Colorado, lots of fun camps for the kids and just plain spending time together. This picture pretty much sums up what we spent the majority of the summer doing.

Part of me is sad to send them off to school in a few days. So, part of me still wants a do over.