The nurse would call. I’d fall to my knees as tears of joy streamed down my face. The weight would lift.

Christmas would be a time of glorious celebration, full of thankfulness and family.

I’d write a happy post about all the lovely things God taught us during this year of waiting.

His birthmark would always be this visual reminder to me of what could have been.

Except what could have been, is.

My son has Sturge Weber Syndrome.

A Diagnosis

It was the doctor that called.

I tried to tell myself that it was him calling because I had left an impatient message on his machine earlier in the day. He told me that the MRI revealed four lesions on our little boy’s brain. These lesions will eventually bleed and cause seizures and possibly strokes.

Sturge Weber Syndrome looks different with every individual and it’s so rare that there doesn’t seem to be two doctors that agree on anything.

Some children have so many seizures and strokes that they need to have the halves of their brain separated to even survive. Some never walk and talk. Some have debilitating migraines, some go blind, most have learning disabilities.

And every milestone they achieve can be taken away at any moment by another seizure or stroke. It’s progressive and it’s vicious.

We’re left with no cure and no clue.

(Photo credit Kelly Wendt)

A Dream

I’ve been writing a journal to each of my boys since before their conception.

(Alright, alright. Our middle son was a surprise, so I had to play a little catch up in his journal!)

In them, I share my hopes, dreams and prayers for each child, as well as sweet moments that I want to treasure forever.

Because of my son’s birthmark, I knew he would know what it’s like to be different, to be judge, and unfortunately, to feel rejected. But I’ve always prayed that God would use that pain to draw T. J. to the unconditional love of Jesus. And that he would, in turn, share that love in tangible ways with others.

I pictured him caring for the outcasts, serving the lowly, touching the untouchables. I pictured him as a man of unassailable character that wouldn’t be afraid of what others thought or care if anyone took notice his efforts. I pictured him and his future wife raising a family of compassionate children that would turn the world on its head.

I didn’t picture him with Sturge Weber syndrome. 

And even now, I still can’t. Maybe it’s denial, but mostly it’s because I just don’t know WHAT to grieve over.

It’s so weird to have no idea if my son will ever be able to have a conversation with me. And to know that all the abilities he does have could be snatched away without warning. Everything is so fragile and fleeting.

An Advent

This all happened the week before Christmas.

Our Christmas was not jolly or magical or merry.

When we first found out that SWS was a possibility a year ago, I wrote about my struggle to trust God’s goodness, no matter the outcome.

(T.J. less than three minutes old.)

I was trying to hold fast to the truth that God has entered into a covenant with me, one that promises to work everything out for my good.

Not the kind of “good” that promises an easy, pain-free life.

I knew that. But I knew that even when tragedy strikes, as a child of God, that that circumstance is truly what was best. I didn’t know how that all worked out, but I was willing to rest in that paradox.

Well, here we are.

Our hearts are broken. The tears flow freely, even in the Target parking lot. I wake up countless times a night with the ice cold terror of the unknown.

So is this good? When the doctor called, did we get “good” news. 

Here’s why I say, with trembling lips, “YES”.

Because God is with me. He is so very present with me in this pain. He is not far off. He is not a theory, an idea, a religion.

He is my God, my Father, my Savior, my Friend. And he’s here.

Christmas was a celebration that God is with us. He left perfection and peace to enter into the hell that is this life. His advent, his coming, is the only reason my family has hope. And we long for his second advent when he makes all things new.

The psalmist had a similar crisis of heart in Psalm 73. He raged that evil people seemed to have nothing but happiness while folks of character suffered through life. The unasked question is, “Is God really good to me?”

Eventually Asaph declares,

He has it all planned out. 

Want to BE the GOOD?

As we go to tons of doctors and try and formulate a medical strategy, we’ve mostly been told that we have to wait and see.

Well, I don’t want to sit around doing nothing. When I’m hurting, I’ve been taught to serve those that are hurting more than I am.

So that’s what we’re going to do, TOGETHER!

I’ve started a GoFundMe campaign to provide a lifesaving surgery for a child in poverty overseas. I’d be so honored if you prayed for this precious child and donated a couple bucks. Share this post to get the word out!

The post A Dream, a Diagnosis, and an Advent appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

While this post makes me feel extremely vulnerable, I know that women with PPD are not the only ones struggling. Husbands are desperately trying to understand and help their wives navigate the murky waters of depression.

(Please consider sharing this article on social media. There are those who need to read this information but might not be seeking it out.)

My wife has said many shocking things to me.

“I’ve never seen ‘Last of the Mochicans'”. “I think we should move to Texas.” “I think we should only buy organic food from now on.” “You’re going skydiving for your birthday!”

And who could forget, “We’re pregnant.”

Yes, she’s full of surprises. But as I sat with my 5 month old son on my lap looking up at my gorgeous bride in her new role as a mother, I heard the most unexpected words pass over her lips. “I’ve thought about killing myself.”

I didn’t process the words at first. It was partly due to the child held in my lap screaming at the top of his lungs like he had been for the past 2 hours, but mostly I just couldn’t navigate the emotional path my wife had traveled from experiencing the first few months of parenthood to thoughts of suicide. True, our oldest was an exceptionally difficult baby, screaming his head off when he was awake and only sleeping for short increments, but there had been smiles too. We both adored our new son, and there had been many family members and close friends there to support us and lend a hand.

How could it have gotten to this point?

Probably the hardest part for a father (but plenty difficult for a mother too) is living with the effects of Postpartum Depression and not realizing it. I often found myself asking, “What am I doing wrong?”, or “What can I do to make her happy?”

If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation, first, I’m sorry. I know it’s painful, and frustrating but second, please allow me to disillusion you. You did not do this. Postpartum Depression is a clinical illness caused by the myriad of hormones that have overloaded your wife’s system for the last few months. (I know there are much more accurate medical explanations; bear with me) So be encouraged that this present darkness is not your doing.

Recognizing PPD in Your Wife

Recognizing the signs of PPD in your wife can be really tricky. Caring for a child is stressful, frustrating, and exhausting. The pressure will be the fuel for a few marital spats. Add to that a debilitating lack of sleep, and maybe a few more of these children pint-sized relationship assassins and its easy to see why it would be hard to draw the line between normal parenthood rigors and depression.

One of the things to look for are the “Calls for Help”. (Well that doesn’t sound too bad does it? “Call for help”, that’s like a damsel in distress searching for her gallant knight in shining armor. Right? Wrong.)

“Calls for help” in my limited experience, have been one of two things. An expression of debilitating hopelessness, or uncharacteristically biting, mean, comments.

It’s a nasty spiral. She was expecting to feel contentment and joy over her new baby. Instead she feels overwhelmed and out of control. Adding to this are all the changes that her body has just gone through during pregnancy and is continuing to go through after birth. Enter PPD. Instead of concluding that it is normal to feel overwhelmed and understandable to be discouraged at the difficulties, the PPD convinces her that she is the only mother that has felt like this.

That thought makes her feel incredibly guilty; both about her supposed shortcomings as a human being, and about her feelings toward her child, because, of course, in reality, she loves that adorable poop-machine. PPD has convinced her that this is never going to end. Life will always be like this now, and there is no way out. That’s the kicker. That’s what drives the situation from feeling bad into the realm of depression.

So, what will this sound like? Depression doesn’t always manifest itself as sadness, often times it looks like rage, or anxiety and worry. “I’m the worst mother ever!”, or “I can’t live like this.”, “What if I screw up and the baby dies” or “My child hates me.”  It is not her normal demeanor, and it usually seems like an over reaction to the situation. My wife would fixate on escaping her situation via drastic means like running away or suicide.

Women will often take out their feelings on their husbands. For instance, she may not be able to let the little things go. Small character flaws or habits that she doesn’t find particularly endearing will be extra grating now. Forgotten chores will set her off like they never would have before. PPD makes it so she has little capacity to deal with life and no patience or grace to cope with your shortcomings.

What Should You Do?

OK, you’re pretty sure it’s PPD, now what? Dads, please please please, don’t do what I did and get defensive. I understand the reaction. You have my every sympathy, but you need to take some time to understand what I’ve been telling you. She doesn’t feel like she can handle things in her life anymore. She feels like she isn’t able to do what is best for her child, and she thinks it’s never going to get better. Please do not make her feel like she is under attack from you too, her best source of empathy, and strength, and help.

What should you do?

First and most importantly, get help. Find a counselor, find a Psychologist, find a medical professional that is qualified to diagnose and help deal with this. It is not a cowardly response, it is not a shameful response, it is not a cop-out or a dismissal of another problem. Remember, you, neither of you, caused this, and neither of you can fix it by yourself, and it is not worth putting your family’s life or health on the line thinking that you can.

After that, Dads, get ready to be the big strong hero… by taking every verbal punch she may throw at you. You can take it, and now you are going to prove it. Also, be ready to serve her like crazy. Nothing is too unimportant, and nothing is beneath you. This is what being a Daddy is all about; putting yourself out there and being willing to hurt so your wife doesn’t have to.

Moms, I will never really know what you are going through and neither will your husband, so if I may humbly suggest it, I would advise you to seek out a mom that has gone through PPD before. She will be an invaluable source of hope to you and a real physical evidence that it does, in fact, get better.

I hope this has been helpful to your family. Please remember I am not a profession, I’m just a witness, and these are just guidelines and experiences that I have found helpful. 

Read more about our family’s journey through post partum depression.

The first round when I almost ended it all.

Getting PPD again and why I’m glad it happened.

The choice to have more kids after PPD.

The post What Husbands Need to Know about Post Partum Depression appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

There I was, a grown woman sitting crossed-legged on the floor with a Bible in my lap.

I’d grown up immersed in this Bible. My parents were solid Christians. I went to church, well, religiously.

I was a Bible quiz champion, a church camp counselor, a Biblical Studies major, and eventually a church planter/missionary.

But in that moment, alone in my brother’s room, I rejected everything I’d built my life upon. I looked at those ancient words in utter disbelief and declared (to whom, I don’t know) “There is no God.”

This was not my first crisis of faith…

All sorts of different things have trigger my doubts. Everything from an Astronomy class lecture, to a cute boy I really wanted to date. Sometimes it’s an aspect about the God of the Bible that really rubs me the wrong way. Other times it’s life circumstances that make me question the idea that there’s truly an all-good, all-powerful God.

These doubts have had a way of throwing me into a tailspin. My entire view of the world would be called into question and I could’t just ignore it.

Depression would usually follow.

I have felt that truth is impossible to find, or maybe even non-existent. Who to trust? Everyone lies or bends facts. I couldn’t even trust myself. I knew my own thoughts and desires were easily corrupted and biased.

I felt trapped and unable to cope with life. The only escape hatch seemed to be an existential black hole of isolation, not trusting anyone, even my own reason and experience.

Yet, every time I wanted to jump reality’s ship, I felt like it was a coward’s way out and it would never satisfy.

Eventually I’d get the courage to examine the facts again. I’d ask myself, “What do I KNOW?”

Like, undeniable, bare bones facts. No presuppositions. No unfounded assumptions.

I was always left with two truths that I couldn’t deny, though I desperately wanted to.

1. Someone/Something more powerful than me designed the universe.
2. There was a real person who lived, died, and came back to life.

Now, I know you may not believe these two things, but in the weeks to come, I want to share with you just some of the facts I have to back those two claims up.

They’re so overwhelming to me that I’d have to be intellectually dishonest WITH MYSELF to deny them. (And trust me, I’ve wanted to.) So before I go rattling off facts, I want you to know that I’ve felt the anger, the fear, and the despair. I’ve tried to wiggle away from my eventual conclusions, but I just can’t seem to do.

Another crisis of faith will probably come my way sooner or later. I’ll want to run away from everything I’ve believed.

But I’m starting to get wise in my old age…

I know that these two pillars of truth will hem me in. And on the foundation of those two undeniable facts, there has been built an incredible wealth of truth that anchors my soul in the worst tempests.

So here’s what this series will cover…

• Evidence for an Intelligent Creator
• Evidence for the Life, Death and Resurrection of the person Jesus
• Should the Bible be trusted to give insight into these first two facts?
• So what DO I believe?

This is MY way of processing and may not be yours. But please don’t ever think Christianity is an unreasonable belief or a blind faith. We are to love the God of the Bible with all our MINDS! Truth can stand up to questions.

But be ready.

The answers won’t allow us to be indifferent, they demand a response.

Will you get up off the floor and join me in this journey?

The post The Skeptic’s Guide to Faith appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

When I was a kid, all the way through middle school, I wanted to have 12 kids. TWELVE!

I had their names all picked out. (Why yes I wanted quadruplets named Faith, Hope, Joy and Grace!) I’d decided how I wanted to space them apart age wise. I even researched vehicles that could haul a troupe that big.

It probably wasn’t until high school that bits of reality started to break through my day dreams. I decided five kids was the perfect number. I have an flawless line of reasoning behind this number, but I’ll spare you the details.

Even when I got married, I adamantly  stuck to the number five. Granted, I never convinced my husband to get on board, but whatever.

Then I had my first child. 

Now, I don’t consider myself a fool. I knew kids were a lot of work!

But my child broke the mold when it comes to being fussy. And if you know my story, many, many other factors contributed to my eventual descent into severe post partum depression.

By the grace of God, I survived that season. It was torture, plain and simple and I never wanted to go through it again.

Oh, except that I wanted more kids…

I had extreme PPD with my first child. We choose to have another child and I went through it again, though less severe. I even wrote a post called “Why I’m GLAD I went through PPD again”.  Now we’re getting ready to welcome our third son!

But he will be our last planned biological child. 

Here’s what we considered when we thought about adding child number two and three…

Thoughts to Ponder

The Bad News

Getting PPD Again is Quite Likely

While it’s not a given, you’re chances of getting PPD again are more likely than someone who has never experienced it.  Some factors that can lead to depression are probably still true the second time around, like a family history of depression. The American Psychological Association estimates the chances of getting PPD for the first time at 9-16% while the likely hood of getting it a second time increase to 41%. Unfortunately in this case, lightning really can strike twice.

It will Feel Just as Real

I’ve had PPD twice now. Before having my second child, I thought my depressive thoughts would be obvious this time around, like I’d know they were intruders or something! Well, they actually felt just as real, just as overwhelming and hopeless. The intensity didn’t lessen. So don’t underestimate the fury, anxiety and other feelings you’ll experience a second time around.

Going through PPD Again may be More Stressful with More Children to Care For

When you have post partum depression with your first child, only an infant sees you at your worst (which is bad enough). But when you’re on subsequent children, their older siblings are watching you have meltdowns and adding to your stress. The older child may not understand the powerful emotions running through their mother and that can have an ill effect. And along those same lines…

Depression Effects More than just the Mother

I’m not sure who went through more turmoil, myself or my husband. Watching me fall apart and threaten suicide daily could not have been an easy road to journey. My husband had to bear a burden much larger than most. Choosing to have another child effects your partner almost as much as it effects you, so take their feelings seriously.

The Good News

You Know the Signs 

You know what to look for and you’re not going to be blindsided this time! Please don’t waste time in a state of denial. It only makes things worse. (Keep other people in the know about your typical symptoms so they can intervene as well!)

You Learned Battle Strategies 

Practice makes perfect, right? You have fought through some pretty icky stuff once before and you’re stronger for it. You probably know your triggers. You probably know some calming techniques. You’ve learned that you cannot let thoughts and feelings dominate you and you know how to preach truth to yourself.

You Can Get Support from the very Beginning

I pray you have a team of people who know and love you, cheering you on! They are an invaluable resource. Let them in. Be vulnerable and share your previous story and ask them to help you as you go through those murky waters again. Before I had my second son, I shared this very story on my personal Facebook page and with the leadership at my church. I was new to the area and knew I had to get real with people quickly and ask for help. PPD is NOT something to fight alone.

You Now Know There’s Hope

This made the biggest difference for me! In my first bout with PPD, I could. not. imagine. EVER being happy again. I thought my life was broken beyond repair. I truly couldn’t even daydream up a magical scenario that would make things right again. But yet, there is One who brings life to the lifeless and hope to the hopeless. Now that I’ve experience that “There and Back Again” roller coaster, I’m far more confident that life will return to “normalcy”. Again, the feelings are still just as intense, but I can battle those with the reality that I’ve lived through them once and seen them disappear before.

Sorry, I’m not going to tell you if you should have more children. It’s a complicated beast.

We decided to have to more, but the dream of five… well, it’s just too much for my reality.

Please take post partum depression seriously and consider what is best for your family! I wish you all the best!

If you want to read MORE helpful advice and vulnerable truths, sign up for our newsletter and stay informed about new posts! We care about you here!

Visit Julie: My Mundane and Miraculous Life’s profile on Pinterest.

The post Choosing to have More Kids After Going through Post Partum Depression? appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

But what happens when those bad days as a parent are our fault. What happens when we know that it was more than being cranky or messing up? It wasn’t just because the kids were whining or our partner had to work late.

We flat out wronged our kids. 

When I let my temper go, it feels good… for about half a second. Then I see my children’s faces and I’m crushed.

How could I be so selfish? How could I lose perspective? How could I treat those precious little people with anger?

How could I be everything I hate?

Sometimes my remorse over my bad parenting threatens to destroy our whole day, if not our week. And if left unchecked, it can forever change my view of myself, making me a worse parent.

Here’s how I recover from a parenting failure…

Apologize to Your Kids without Excuses

It’s easy to shift blame after I lose my cool. After all, the anger almost always is a reaction to my children’s disobedience. But you know what? I am responsible for my choices. As much as I want to shape and mold their hearts, that is ultimately up to them and the Lord. So if we’ve both been in the wrong, my priority needs to be remorse over my sin.

This is the time to humble yourself. Admit to your kids that what you did was wrong and without excuse. Tell them how much you regret it. And remind them that not only did you hurt them, but you sinned against God.

Let Them Hear You Receive Grace

I want my kids to SEE my relationship with God is real. Not a fictional story, not a set of rules to follow, not a lovely tradition.

REAL. My only hope. Because, that’s what it is.

Remind your kids that saying “sorry” doesn’t really take care of sin. Our bad choices condemn us. Justice calls for a payment, not empty words.

But I pray you know the good news.

Justice has been served. The only Holy God paid the debt for you.  It’s finished. Receive the grace. Undeserved, overflowing, and life transforming.

So after I apologize to my kids, I pray aloud. This is the time to preach the gospel while receiving it.

I turn from my sin and embrace the cross. I praise Him for saving me. I praise Him that I’m not left to wallow in this muck of self. Sin is crushing, but He crushed sin. His grace is enough.

Live the Gospel

Grace like that changes everything. There’s no need to punish yourself. There’s no need to despair.

That only belittles the gift.

You cannot add anything to what Christ has done for you, so please don’t try. Show your children by your JOY the all sufficiency of Christ.

Join our Facebook Community! 

The post Recovering from a Parenting Failure appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and it’s got many of us reminiscing.

No matter what stage in motherhood we are, diaper logged or empty nesting, we remember that moment we found out our lives would be forever changed.

My feelings have run the gamut when I’ve taken pregnancy tests and seen the positive results.

I’ve experienced…

Joy, Dread, and Fear

Tears, Giggles, and Shock

Apprehension, Hope, and Peace

Why in threes? Well, I’m thrilled to announce that our family is expecting baby number three in late Autumn! We’re stoked of course but nervous as I don’t handle the baby stage so well.

It’s funny how the way I reveal each pregnancy to my husband has become less and less elaborate.

With my first,  I wasn’t convinced I was pregnant, because the line was shockingly faint. I had to show it to my experienced friend before I could confidently tell my husband. I made a lovely bound photo book for my husband that was a chronicle of “our story”. The last pages said that a new chapter in our lives was just beginning because, “we’re going to have a baby!”. That book is still such a precious keepsake.

When baby number two came along, we were SHOCKED! I’m so glad I used Clearblue so it would just spell it out for me, “Pregnant!” I don’t think I would have believed it otherwise. Since I was ill prepared, I just took a photo of me holding a sign announcing the news and set it as my husband’s background on his computer.

By the third time, we were old pros at this. I woke my groggy husband up early one Sunday morning and showed him the positive pregnancy test. “Dude, we’re pregnant.” Awed silence.

We are so undeserving of these three incredible blessings.

Here’s a little rundown of this pregnancy so far.

In honor of Mother’s Day, Clearblue has put together this montage of reactions to pregnancy announcements. Life is such a gift!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

The post That Defining Moment appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

This chapter covers what happens to Jesus and his disciples between the Last Supper and the Crucifixion. I must admit, I was a little stumped for ideas. I wanted to treat the subject matter with the seriousness it deserves, but also at the level a preschooler could grasp. Sally Lloyd-Jones, the author of the Jesus Storybook Bible, emphasizes a couple things in this chapter. First, is that the worst part of Jesus sacrifice was not his physical death, but his separation from God the Father. The second emphasis was on how God’s plan was unfolding exactly the way it was supposed to, even though it seemed like everything was going terribly wrong.

I decided that the second point was something I could explain to my son through an Easter object lesson in nature.

This post contains affiliate links for  you convenience. Read my full disclosure policy here.

I’ve got to admit, I was ill prepared when this idea struck me. After talking about the story of Jesus arrest, we discussed how it looked like everything was falling apart. Then we watched a movie about caterpillars turning into butterflies. Thankfully, Loopy had forgotten that caterpillars turn into butterflies, so the transformation was extra dramatic. As we watched, we talked about how things did not look so good for the caterpillar. His skin busted open, he struggled and squirmed. And eventually it looked like he died. BUT this was the plan. THIS was how it was supposed to be.

The connection between the caterpillar/butterfly and Jesus’ death was obvious to Loopy. He knew that the plan was to save the world from their sin. (Please note that the butterfly doesn’t die in the cocoon, but Jesus most definitely did, and rose again.) Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 is a clear explanation that Jesus death was “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” So that’s a great passage to study as a family.

If I had been thinking further in advance, I would have had Loopy see the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly first hand. We’re going to be ordering this butterfly garden kit and I can’t wait!

Can you think of other examples in nature where things seem to be falling apart, when actually they’re going exactly as planned? I’d love it if you’d share in the comments below!

The post Activity for the Jesus Storybook Bible: Good Friday (Jesus’ Arrest) An Easter Object Lesson appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

How you handle a financial crisis can make or break a marriage.

I would know.

I almost blew mine. 

I always knew we wouldn’t be well off. When you go to Bible school and go into ministry full time, you don’t exactly expect to be rolling in the dough.

I did however think that I would always have enough.

Enough to pay bare bone basic bills. Enough to eat. Enough to live on our own.

Well, that didn’t happen.

(This post is part of the March Marriage Challenge. Hop on over to read tons of different post about marriage from other bloggers.)

We’ve only been married for 6 years, but it seems like the large percentage of our marriage has been one financial crisis after another.

I know the fear. I know the anger. I know the hopelessness.

I wish I could say I always handled it well; that I was my husband’s biggest supporter.

I wasn’t.

But God was gracious to us.

We survived. Our marriage survived.

And I learned a ton about what I should have done when the funds plummeted and the bills mounted.

Be willing to be Ridiculously Frugal

I’m cheap. I’m not a big spender and my list of ways I’ve pinched pennies is extremely long. But often times, I would use that list to justify an unnecessary expense. Example: “I can buy this shirt because it’s 75% off. I could use a shirt. AND we don’t even have TV, so I mean, I’m really frugal.” But the reality was that while the shirt would have been nice, I wouldn’t have been naked without it, so I should have just dropped it like it’s hot. I’m ashamed of all the stress I added to our situation, justifying it with recalling previous times I had made financial sacrifices.

Make Extravagant Memories 

When I spent so much time trimming our budget, it was easy to have a pity party. I’d often punish my husband by taking ALL the fun out of life. Example: “We can’t go on a date because we have no money, remember??? You have got to get a job before we can do stuff like that.” Instead, I should have made the effort to fill our life with joy; the kind money can’t buy. It takes time, creativity and some determination, but it can be done. And it will be so worth it.  Husbands want to know that their families are happy, they need to know it. When the money pressure cooker is on, it’s a great opportunity to delight in the small stuff and ease some of your husband’s fears.

Encourage

This can be so hard. I’m a realist. I hate sugarcoating things. When things are bleak, I tend to run around like a chicken with its head cut off. I found that the best way to encourage my husband was to first, shut my mouth about how worried I was. We both knew where we were at financially, panic wouldn’t help anything. Second, help him when he’s the one freaking out. Remind your husband of all the things you know to be true. Example: “I know you can’t see anything but this looming problem. But don’t forget: we’ve struggled before and gotten through by God’s grace. It seemed impossible then. Someday, this problem will be behind us too. And I’ll be by your side through it all.”

Respect

I screwed up the most in this area. I’m convinced the reason money/job issues are so destructive is that they attack a man’s confidence in who he is. Guys are hard wired to want to provide and when they can’t do that adequately, they tend to take it personally. My husband will be the first to admit that he screwed up with our finances too. There was some laziness, some immaturity. But the way I handled it was wrong. I blamed. I criticized. I did not build him up or affirm his true value. He needs to hear what you respect about him. Example: “Character like yours is rare. I’m so thankful that you put our family first. You are such a gift to me.” Heap it on. The world is beating them down. You have got to be their biggest fan.

Pray

Sometimes talking about money issues can turn into a never ending freak out fest. When the conversation is going in circles, call a time out and pray. Cast your cares on God. We weren’t meant to handle all that pressure. Prayer is the glue that holds a marriage together.

This is really what got us through our myriad of financial crises.

God.

He provided, abundantly and undeniable. He spurred the generosity of scores people. I’ve lost count of how many anonymous gift cards, random checks, and bags of groceries have been given to us at just the right time. Friends and family opened their homes to us. My brother even paid for some medical bills on a monthly basis. It was overwhelming, and I could write a book on what I learned about God from it all.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t explain that my greatest debt; the one I couldn’t even possibly repay, was already wiped clean. I owed my life because of my rebellion against a holy God. But Jesus gave His life in my place. Knowing that my most hopeless situation had already been paid for, gave me a confidence and hope as we went through those dark times. I love Romans 8. Paul says in verse 32: “He (God) who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Now that doesn’t necessarily mean material things. But the point is, God’s not holding back on me. He paid the ultimate price and I can always look back on that and know that God is for me. And he’s for my marriage.

I’ve really put my marriage through the ringer… Click an image to read more.

The post How to Stay Married Through a Financial Crisis: From a Gal Who Almost Blew it! appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

(Sorry if I sound emotional. We just did this activity a couple minutes ago, and my son is starting to really grasp just what Jesus has done for him. I’m overwhelmed by the grace extended to me and the joy it is to share it with my children. Wow.)

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Please read my full disclosure policy here. 

Supplies: 

Jesus Storybook Bible

A Hand-held mirror

Coconut Oil

Wash Cloth

Cotton Swabs

Something dark, skin-safe, and difficult to remove but certainly not impossible: We used Organic Mascara because I had just run over my tub with the car so it was demolished anyway. I’m not sure what else would fit the bill, maybe charcoal? Be sure to use common sense and don’t endanger your kids or their surroundings!

Instructions: 

Read the story “Get Ready!” on page 170.

Have your child close their eyes. Use the cotton swabs to rub the “dark stuff” on their face.

I wish I could have gotten the mascara on his face without him even having a clue. But I down played it as much as possible. I wanted him to be surprised at just how messy he really was.

Hand your child a mirror so they can see what they really look like.

I reminded Loopy that God’s Word is like a mirror. When the Exiles returned to Israel and read the law, they were appalled at how far they had gone in their disobedience. They wept because of how “unclean” they were and they KNEW they couldn’t fix themselves.

Have your child attempt to clean themselves up with nothing but their hands.

At first, Loopy thought he could easily remove the mascara from his face. But he soon saw (because of the mirror) that he was actually making things worse.

He asked for help.

And I gave him the gospel.

As I used coconut oil and a cloth to gently wipe away the soot, I told my son what God has done for all of us. He gave us the law to act like a mirror; to show us how messed up and hopeless we really are. It’s not pretty and we can’t do anything about it.

That’s the bad news. But the good news. Oh the good news…

is that Jesus came to die on our behalf so we wouldn’t have to suffer the full consequence of our sin. He doesn’t just forgive sin, he wipes it away. It’s been paid in full.

I desperately want my kids to understand that they can’t do a darn thing to save themselves. It’s all grace. An over-the-top all-sufficient grace. They don’t deserve it but it’s theirs if they ask for it.

When Loopy looked in the mirror and saw a nice clean face, he was full of thankfulness, not pride.

This has been my favorite activity that I’ve EVER posted. I saw so many concepts that I’ve explained a million times, really start to click in Loopy’s mind. It is my number one priority that my kids understand the gospel. I’m just marveling right now and the privilege it is to raise kids.

If you’d like a further explanation of the gospel or to ask any questions, I’d be beyond honored to talk with you. You can email me privately here or comment below. Please know I’ve already been praying for you!

Want more activities that bring the Bible to life and show your kids what God is really like??? Check out our 40+ other posts!

I’m crazy excited to share a giveaway with you generously sponsored by Zonderkidz.  One of our family’s all-time favorite books is the Jesus Storybook Bible. And we want to share the joy with you! One lucky winner will receive the Collector’s Edition of the Jesus Storybook Bible valued at $44.99. This package includes  a beautiful copy of the book, the audio rendition of every story (extremely well done!), and a DVD collection with animated versions of the stories. What a great gift to give a child for Easter! Be sure to follow The Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook Page for more information, and stay tuned for the rest of the Jesus Storybook Bible Hands On Activity Series.

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends at 12:00 am CST on April 1, 2015. Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below. If you have trouble seeing the entry form on a mobile device switch to the classic version or click here to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Activity for the Jesus Storybook Bible: Ezra, Nehemiah and the Return from Exile appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

Everyone gets stressed. My biggest stressors are also my biggest joys.

My kids.

It’s no secret that my kids are terrible sleepers.  And now that they’re active toddlers and preschoolers and they STILL don’t sleep, this mama finds herself pretty wired at the end of the day.

It still boggles my mind that despite the YEARS of sleep deprivation, I still struggle to stop my churning thoughts and get some decent shut eye. I wish I could be like my husband, who can just flip a switch and be sound asleep (until the 4 year old needs to use the restroom at 3 am). I can’t afford to waste that precious time when the kids are asleep so I’ve started giving myself a bedtime routine, because I really need to wind down and sleep after a stressful day with the kids.

Here’s some things that work for me…

1. Yoga

I LOVE yoga. I’m really not much for exercise these days, but yoga just makes my body feel good. And it doesn’t take much: a few sun salutations, a couple spine twists, and I’m starting to feel human again.

2. Prayer

At the end of the day, I often times find myself heavy-hearted. The world is hurting, people I love are in pain, and I find myself worried and unable to help. That is, until I take a knee and cast my cares upon God. When I don’t take the time to do this, I’m restless all night. God cares and can actually do something about what burdens your heart. We’d all do well to take more advantage of prayer.

3. A Warm Bath 

Alright, this is a little embarrassing. I’m a Chicagoan. I’ve slept in igloos overnight for crying out loud! But for some reason, our home in central Texas is so drafty that my teeth chatter most of the day. By the evening, I can barely feel my feet. I must have circulation problems. I’ve found that it’s nearly impossible to fall asleep quickly when my feet feel like ice blocks under the covers. So I’ve been taking a warm bath before bed so that I’m toasty and my muscles are super relaxed.

4. RESCUE Sleep Liquid Melts

Recently I’ve rediscovered RESCUE brand homeopathic stress aids. I’ve been using their Sleep Liquid Melts just before bed and can’t believe how quickly my thoughts stop racing and I wake up the next morning not remembering any major battles to fall asleep. I LOVE that they’re all-natural and non-habit forming. There are a variety of different products including:

• • RESCUE Pastilles
  • RESCUE Sleep Liquid Melts
  • RESCUE Pearls
  • and more

I’ll definitely be stocking up and trying some of their other products. I got mine at CVS but they can also be found at Walgreens, Sprouts and Whole Foods.

We all function so much better when we have a good night sleep. I’ve really struggled with sleep deprivation, but I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. You’ll get there too! I keep hearing a rumor that eventually kids sleep through the night. But while you’re in the trenches, make the most of those fleeting hours with some of the tips above.

Do you have any tricks that help you shut the noodle off for the night? I’d love it if you shared them below! We can all use all the help we can get!

The post How to Wind Down for Sleep After a Stressful Day with Kids appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.