So my sister has always been a wealth of spiritual knowledge and influence in my life and here we go again.....and I say all of this out of love and gratefulness to her for being my earthly sister and most importantly a sister in Christ. She was telling me about a book she is reading that was reminding her that our children are one of the ways God redeems us. I've thought of that many times regarding my husband but in the day to day drama or lack there of, I'd forgotten that my children fall into that same task that God naturally created them to do. And my children are experts at it which I find amazing and amusing all at the same time!!! We have 3 children four and under and it's amazing how thorough and accurate God created them in their task at redeeming me. These are some ways I've been redeemed just this week.
1) Keith is sprouting his two bottom teeth and this makes it impossible to sleep from the hours of 2am-5am, give or take an hour. My other two children did not suffer this much teething but he's really having a hard time growing these little tic-tacs. REDEMPTION over selfishness/sleep = 1, RYAN = 0
2) Stella has decided she wants to tinkle on the potty which really translates to "I want some ju beans, Mommy" (ju beans aka jelly beans). How do you tell a child that wants to pee pee on the potty "NO"? So, we are trying and I'm cleaning tinkle off the tile, off the hard woods, off the carpet, off little legs, off the Bob the Builder potty seat, it seems like off of everything. REDEMPTION over patience (or the lack there of) = 2, RYAN = 0
3) Darrell is consumed with March Madness, need I say more? REDEMPTION over selfishness, pride/not getting what I want = 3, RYAN = 0
4) Samuel has just come down stairs in the middle of my precious quiet time (where all 3 children are supposed to be resting) to alert me that there is a "flying bug" in his room and he doesn't want it to land on him??? So I must end my list with these 4 (even though I have many more because I am so imperfect!) and go find the "tiny flying black bug). REDEMPTION over selfishness again = 4, RYAN = 0
God continually reminds me of how selfish I am and how much I desire what I want over what others may require or ask of me. But I am continually amazed by how much my Father loves me and wants His best for me and uses these precious souls to help me with my imperfections. How blessed am I to serve such a mighty God? The way He created these children specifically for ME to refine and redeem me as He continually makes me His own and draws me closer to Him. He is mighty to save, mighty to save.
I am...what I say I am...and I am...what I say I am....
- Ryan Revis Stewart
- Child of God,Wife,Mother,Daughter, Sister and Friend
Saturday, March 21, 2009
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Stewart Family Mission Statement
Back in April, our family (Darrell's Mom's brother and sister) got together in Lenior, NC to celebrate several April birthdays and attend Goudapalooza '08. As part of the celebration each family was asked to bring their Mission Statement. As you can see, I miss using the marketing/advertising part of my brain. We collected famous "tag lines" to create our mission statement.
The Stewart Family Mission Statement:
As a growing family we believe “We get it”. There has been “One love since 1994”. We “Believe in the best” and believe “This is the place to be”. We love our family and it is “Grown for pleasure”.
Every morning we “Wake up with the King “ and always “Answer to a higher authority”.
Mommy believes “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup” and we frequently find ourselves wondering “Got milk?”
Each day we promise to “Grab life by the horns”, even when “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking” because we believe “We bring good things to life” and “Quality is job one”. Often times “The only easy day was yesterday” and yet we are still grateful. We strive for “Getting things done” with our “Heart to God, hand to man”.
At the end of the day we still shout “Just do it”, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you”, and “Be all you can be”. But on the occasional “You deserve a break today”, “For all you do, this Bud's for you”. Because there are days where “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't”.
So, “Life's good” and “There's no life like it”. “Feel the force”. “It's everywhere you want to be”.
Because at the end of the day “You can't top the copper top”. “He keeps going and going and going”.
The Stewart Family Mission Statement:
As a growing family we believe “We get it”. There has been “One love since 1994”. We “Believe in the best” and believe “This is the place to be”. We love our family and it is “Grown for pleasure”.
Every morning we “Wake up with the King “ and always “Answer to a higher authority”.
Mommy believes “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup” and we frequently find ourselves wondering “Got milk?”
Each day we promise to “Grab life by the horns”, even when “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking” because we believe “We bring good things to life” and “Quality is job one”. Often times “The only easy day was yesterday” and yet we are still grateful. We strive for “Getting things done” with our “Heart to God, hand to man”.
At the end of the day we still shout “Just do it”, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you”, and “Be all you can be”. But on the occasional “You deserve a break today”, “For all you do, this Bud's for you”. Because there are days where “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't”.
So, “Life's good” and “There's no life like it”. “Feel the force”. “It's everywhere you want to be”.
Because at the end of the day “You can't top the copper top”. “He keeps going and going and going”.
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1 comment:
i'm not sure which book your sister read, but I would highly recommend Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas. It's all about how God uses your children to make you holy. (he also wrote Sacred Marriage about God using marraige to make you holy, not happy.)
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