You Never Stop Missing Your Kids

Cousins at the Rose Cottage

 You never stop missing your kids do you?  My daughter came home for 3 1/2 days last week - first time in 5 years that she's been here around the holidays and it was way too short!   I think a mom never stops wanting to have her children around at Christmas, at least I don't.  All the wonderful memories of years past; celebrating this special season together - it never stops.  And of course as the parent you have your own ideas of what you should do and who they should see and of course they have their idea.  And then comes getting married, having to share with others, blended families....and learning to just be quiet which I'm not always very good about.



Amanda, future daughter-in-law?

   This time was so sweet. We spent a few hours at a cute tearoom visiting family; then a short shopping trip to the mall and the infamous Trader Joes that finally opened in Des Moines, then the winter farmers market where homemade food beckoned at every corner; two family Christmases and a birthday celebration. It was fun to watch Nicole with her nephew Dawson.  Only the second time she's seen him.   I remember how special my times were with my aunts and uncles. I still swear that I remember one visit in particular with my Uncle Russell and his wife when I spent several days there on the farm.  My mother says it's not possible to remember something that happened when I was two but I am positive I remember it. In fact, I can still picture the stairway and the bedroom I slept in.  I desire that for my grandson - that he would know his aunt because those relationships are invaluable.  And visits to aunts and uncles when mom and dad aren't around are way too much fun! I still have a special relationship with a couple of my nieces in particular, and I love having them near.  I'm also blessed to have, I think, a future daughter-in-law nearby who I'm loving getting to know more.   They all help me when I wish my daughter was closer to go on a shopping trip with or go to a movie with.  God's gracious to give them to me, and what a beautiful gift to be able to spend those three short, but wonderful days with my daughter.   

A Nagging Wife

  As so often God does, he awakened me this morning with the words "a nagging wife is like a dripping faucet."  POW - not words you enjoy hearing but when the Holy Spirit whispers to me it's like the old EF Hutton commercial "when EF Hutton speaks, people listen".  
  The deal is, these whisperings didn't take me by surprise.   I've found myself nit-picking at my husband a lot lately.  I condemn the things he puts in his mouth, I prod and push him to start exercising, I grumble at his sitting around watching TV doing endless Sodoku puzzles.  Pick, pick, pick and before you know it I feel lousy about myself and he's frustrated and tuned out to anything I say.   I've told myself hundreds of times not to become one of those old nagging wives and yet I do it anyway.   He's an awesome husband, a great dad and a wonderful grandpa.   Does the dishes every night; loves God; leads by example - so why do I pick on the negative things he does or doesn't do rather than build up the wonderful man he is?  
  Proverbs 21:19 says "better to live in a desert than with a crabby, complaining wife."  And Ephesians 4:29 says "do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up according to their needs."  So the question is WILL I LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT and WILL I LISTEN TO GOD'S WORD.  My choice; I certainly know that.  I can't change my husband and his health choices no more than I can change inevitable snow that has arrived in Iowa.   I need a tongue grabber so that every time I start nagging my tongue gets yanked.  How I pray for my nagging tongue to only be edifying to him today.