"Holi-daze" and Holy Days

Staring 2012 straight in the face now.  Hoping for more grace, more patience, more hope.  Hoping for more Holy days in the unholy craze.

We all know that “Happy Holidays” are not always happy.  Whether it’s a tragic anniversary or a painful reminder that life is not postcard perfect, many of us struggle to get through the year’s finale.  

And all the hustle and bustle makes it a challenge to parent our adopted, sensitive and traumatized children who do not respond well to stress.  Hard to show the love and thanksgiving, peace and joy, when we’re frantic and tense.

In a children's book by Anna Dewdney, the cure for Llama Llama’s “holiday drama” is a hug from his mama.  Remember to stop and hold your loved ones close (in whatever way, shape or form).

Take a deep breath, count your blessings, and kneel before the Christ-child: a perfect way to start the New Year.

I have set the Lord always before me.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 

Psalm 16:8

Daddy Love

This morning I overheard a conversation between my husband and my 3 year old. My son was expressing his undying affection for his daddy. It went something like this:

I'm so ANGRY!

picture by graur razvan ionut

"Ahhhhh!  It's not fair!"  Sometimes our children are better at expressing their anger than we are.  However we often shut them down instead of applauding and training them.

We all know (most of us by experience!) that "man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires" (James 1:20, NIV).  Most of us have also heard, "the truth will set you free" (Jn. 8:32).  What to do, then, when the truth is that we're mad?!

A Child's Prayer

I was snuggling my son before bed when he told me he wanted to pray silently, "in my heart." We both closed our eyes and he was quiet for a long time. Well after my mind started to wander, I peaked and saw that his eyes were still shut.

Limits

Limits come in many shapes and sizes.  I’m limited by how many hours I can go without sleeping, how much money I have, the number of friends I can talk to in a day, the places I can go with a sensitive child, and so on.  You get the idea. 

Many view limits as a necessary evil.  In reality, they are an expression of love; an opportunity for grace, growth and accepting help.