Patience and Kindness Put in Perspective

... love is patient, love is kind.

Is this how you would describe your love for others? Are you patient and kind in how you love others?

Self reflection for me: Not always. I lose my patience with my husband a lot. When I do that, I tend to be unkind. Admittedly, I've gotten a lot better about this, but I'm still not where I want to be.

Play out the scenarios in your head... when you get frustrated with friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, enemies... as Christians, we are called to love all of them. And part of that love is patience and kindness.

When I start thinking about how hard it is to be both patient and kind in times of stress (especially when people are just grinding on my nerves), sometimes God reminds me of His reaction being tortured and beaten and hung on the cross.

Now think about that. If ever there was a time for Him to be ugly and rude... impatient and unkind... it was then. And what did He say? "Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do."

That is love. That is pure, unadulterated love. And that's what we should strive to be. How petty do our disagreements or annoyances seem when compared to the heartache and suffering that led to the ultimate sacrifice. And yet, He, going through all of that, was still kind and patient.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I Wish I Knew What the 19 Month Old Was Thinking When...

He did this too his momma...

Admittedly, he didn't climb to the top of the pile, that would be his daddy's bright idea.

But one by one he piled a blanket on me. Then another. Then another. Then some pillows. Then some shoes. Whatever he could find, he was determined it all needed to be on me.

And after he'd put one on me, he'd say "nigh nigh".

Stinker.

A Closer Look at an "Overused" Verse

Ok guys, let me apologize to those who were anxiously awaiting a "Testimony Tuesday" all summer and never got one. Summer is my busiest time of year and honestly, I didn't have anything on my heart to share. One thing I don't want this to become is a vague post because I feel like a have too. So if I don't feel like I have to, I just don't. More Christians should live like this. There is this "Christian guilt" thing that plagues people for not doing what they feel the world expects them to do. But they are ignoring the near third of the Bible (ok, I could be exaggerating) that tells you not give a flip of what the world thinks and to do what God tells you to do.

I digress...

It has been on my heart to do an in-depth look at 1 Corinthians 13. You know, the one that everyone and the brother used in the wedding ceremony... love is patient, love is kind... blar blar blar.

I have always had a bad attitude about this verse and God is getting onto me for it.

Bad attitude explanation: It is overused. People don't actually use it correctly most of the time. And it has just gotten a bit cliche for me. So much that I refused to let it in my wedding. It makes people feel fluffy with glittery unicorns abounding.

Turns out, that verse is God telling us how to love. And after you break it down, it isn't necessarily how we show love. Almost ever.

So for the next few days... weeks... not really sure, I'll be breaking it down piece by piece. Then to wrap up my many blogs it will take, I'll do one more to bring it all home. Basically... I think this is going to be good for a lot of people. Husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, friends, the broken-hearted, the heart-breakers, the mothers and fathers, the children, and the Christians who just need a reminder of how to love.

So with that... let's start the breakdown!

Take a moment to think what love means to you. Think of what actions show love, what words exemplify love, and what love really means to you.

"If I could speak all the languages of the earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

What is God telling us hear? I'll tell you in my own words...

No one gives a crap how much you know, especially me, unless you love others. No one cares about your many talents (that came from me anyway) unless you love others. And there isn't a selfless act in the world that I care about if it isn't accompanied by loving others.

This is such a strong command! Basically, God is telling you to get over yourself and love people. No matter what you do, no matter what others do to you, no matter your many talents or your wondrous sacrifices... it all means nothing until you love others.

Happy Monday!

My 100th Post...and It's about Poop!

These days, I'm a little overrun by poop.

Sam is potty training. Some days well, some days not so well, and some days where he is so close to well it isn't funny.

That's where we were yesterday. He was obsessed with the potty. Every few minutes he wanted to pee pee or poo poo but he never really did either once on the potty. So I continued to get ready for the day but we were in the bathroom and I was tired of "on diaper, off diaper, on diaper, off diaper" because getting a diaper on my active son is like trying to diaper a greased up pig.

So I let him run around naked. It was in the bathroom and he was constantly asking to get on the potty so I thought, "There's no way he'll even get a chance to pee in the floor."

Then I hear, "Poo poo." So I turn to get him and put him on the potty. Except, oh wait, too late, because there is a GIGANTIC MAN TURD in his hand!

Yup... my boy poops like a lumber jack and picks it up and hands it to me.

Oh so gross.

Now lets fast forward a handful of hours. I'm unloading the dishwasher, Pat (mother in law) is helping put away groceries, and the boy is awfully quiet. But we keep hearing him say, "Dog." I finally catch a glimpse of him.

He has stolen a spoon from the dishwasher and starting STIRRING FRESH DOG SHIT IN THE FLOOR! It's all down his leg and in his hands.

Thank the Lord above he didn't take a bite!

So Grandma gave Sam a bath, Justin finished cooking dinner, and I went on a stinky poop sanitizing spree!

And just in case you didn't catch it, this all happened yesterday. It's days like that when you can just shake your head and think... wow.

Songs You Think Mean One Thing... But In Reality...

Most people who know me know that there are certain words that just freak me out. The list is small but the effect is profound if these words are uttered in my presence.

That was just some background information. Now for the absolutely pointless (like if you should be working now, get back to it) story.

I listen to the radio whenever my husband gives me the rights to the one car with a radio. I lurv it. LURV the radio.

Yesterday, I heard this incredibly catchy tune and really wanted to know what the song was. It goes a little something like this...

"I miss that lovin, that lovin, that lovin, that lovin... whooooooaaaa no!"

It honestly sounds like the Jackson 5 are singing this song. It makes me want to get up and dance, snap my fingers... you know... catchy!

So I'm at the front desk of East Hall waiting on some dinner companions, and I start looking this song up. I search "I miss that lovin" in every way I know how to. Nothing.

I go to the radio stations website and find something that is titled "Dedication to my Ex" and I thought, "That has to be it!"

So we play it. At the front desk. And this is what we hear.

***NOTE*** For the sake of others with a fear of a certain word, where the actual word goes, I'll be substituting "puppy". The actual word is remarkably similar looking, just sub in a different consonant for the middle p's.

"I miss that puppy, that puppy, that puppy, that puppy, whooooooooa no!... What have you done with my puppy?!"

OH MUH GAWD!

This is on LOUD in the East Hall Front Lobby. And I am responsible for it. URG!

So for your auditory ambiance... here are both versions. The second is NOT safe for work. Dear sweet Jesus...

Clean version Rikki would like to preserve...



Dirty version Rikki would like to forget...

Genius or Glutton?

My child may be a potty training genius. That, or a glutton.

Is he really? No, probably not. But holy moly, he made so much progress in one day, it amazes me how kids just "get it" sometimes. It happens so fast!

Beginning:

At Sam's daycare, a little girl is potty training. She got to sit on the potty and... hold the phone... Sam wanted to also. So Susan started letting him sit on the potty. She tells me about it and I too start letting him sit on the potty.

Is he actually pottying? No. Of course not. But he feels like a big boy on the potty so whats the harm?

He would ask all the time and every once in a while we get a little pee pee and he'd be so shocked he'd just stare then grin really big. Totally cute.

And a few times we caught him "mid poop" and hurried to the potty only for Sam to not understand and still just be content sitting on the potty.

That sums up the previous two weeks or so. Just exploring the potty. No pressure. Just when he wanted to go, he could go.

Enter this weekend.

He figured out really quickly that if you pee pee on the potty... you get an M&M. So not only does he get to sit on the potty like a big boy, but he gets candy too? SWEET!

So on Sunday, we maybe went through 3 diapers. He would say, "pee pee" or "poo poo" and off we'd go to the potty.

Then he'd squeeze and grunt and VIOLA! Pee pee!

And boy did we ever throw a party! But it kept happening. All day long he wanted to go pee pee. And then he did! And he didn't pee his diaper during nap! And at night, we went poo poo in the potty! Exciting times in the Turner household!

I never thought I'd have a kid that would basically potty train himself, but that is basically what is happening. We did it on his time, even though I wasn't even close to being ready yet.

We aren't done potty training, far from it actually. But I just needed to brag on my little boy because he just constantly amazes me. I never thought I'd be so proud of poop and urine... but I am. I'm swelled with pride!

Sam, His Tubes, and His Overprotective Parents

Ok, Sam got his tubes this morning and there is lots to talk about. Although, to spoil it and not lead people along, he did fine, it went fine, all is well in the world.

The day before:
Thank God this is the busiest time of year for me. So work wasn't torture just sitting around waiting on tomorrow to roll around, it was pretty much balls to the wall all day, go pick Sam up, go home, get dinner... oh yeah... his tubes get put in tomorrow.

Two fantastic parts of this day... Gena and Susan. These girls are the cheese to my macaroni and the butter to my bread. The milk to my Oreos... you get the point. Susan watches Sam and she asked me what time his procedure was. I told her, wondering what it mattered because he wasn't going to daycare anyway. Later I find out, she's rearranged her schedule, gotten a substitute, so she can be there in the waiting room with us.

Shut. Up.

Who's babysitter does that? For real? She's the best.

Then as I'm telling my bestie Gena about the wonderfulness that is Susan, when I get out that Susan was coming, Gena says, "Oh so you aren't opposed to that? I'd like to come too."

Seriously?! How loved is this little boy? Two people who aren't even blood related (although I would argue that they could be by the way they treat him and us) were going out of there way to be a surgery center at 7 am!

Again... they are the cheese to my macaroni... and I like macaroni and cheese A LOT!

Today...

We got there and all is well. He started getting fussy because by 7 am he normally has his breakfast and milk. So at 7:30 when they still haven't put him under and he still hasn't eaten, he got a bit disagreeable. He wanted to play with all the tubes and equipment and did not want to be held and sit still.

The nurse came out and Sam went right to her. No crying, no looking back. Thank. God!

That was what I was dreading the most. Him being terrified and me having to watch him be terrified and not do anything about it. Luckily, that didn't happen.

We went back to the waiting room and chatted with Gena and Susan for a bit. We weren't back 10 minutes and the doctor came out and said Sam did great.

PHEW!

Until we got back to recovery.

The nurse was holding Sam, who was conked out, and playing with his Elmo doll (that he got to take back to surgery with him). Then Sam began to wake up.

And the world ended.

He was so upset. Unconsolable. Drink didn't help. Hugging didn't help. At one point he raised his hands in the air in utter despair just wailing!

And I was honestly laughing. I laugh because when I come out from under anesthesia, I cry like that. I don't know why...but I just cry and cry and cry. So this display was very amusing to me.

It took until we go back home and he saw the dog that he finally calmed down fully. Then we took a two hour nap (yup he slept on my chest like the good ole days) and all is well in the world of Sam.

I just pray we are able to just have done this the once, they stay in, and they fix the problem. :-)