Heartstrings

Did you know that hearts have strings? Every day, you are either tying those strings from your child's heart to your or cutting them. Most days, you are probably doing both. Having those heart-strings tied close to yours is what enables your child to receive your correction and discipline. It makes them want to please you. I first read this concept in the book To Train Up A Child (I know it's a controvertial book for many people, but I think anyone could learn from Michael Pearl on this point).

We had some heart-strings that needed re-tying this past weekend, so I took my oldest daughter on a trip to Chuck E Cheese. Just her and me, no siblings. I didn't try to talk to her about her problem areas. I didn't lecture her. I just wanted her to have fun and to associate that fun with being with Mama. Guess what? We've had a great week at school so far this week. She has focused better and had a better attitude. I'm not saying it's a magic formula. I'm just saying, if you are having problems with a particular child in your household, look to their heart-strings.

Along those lines, I loved this post today from Inspired to Action.

How do you keep your children's heartstrings tied to yours?

This post is linked up at
housefullofbookworms.com

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What Kind of Race is This?

And the winner is...
This morning felt like a race. Have you had mornings like that recently? I didn't get up early enough, and we only had a couple of hours in which to finish school before we had to run by the library and then meet up with my mom. I kept pushing the kids to go faster. I didn't help. In fact, I just stressed everyone out, including myself.
I forgot what kind of race I was suppose to be running. I was so focused on the goals of the morning (hurry, hurry, hurry, don't mind if I squash your feelings on the way) that I forgot my ultimate goal is to raise godly kids. Me getting frustrated at them for not being fast enough certainly doesn't help them along in that goal. In fact, it drags them backwards.

The soundtrack to my life has recently been Sara Groves new album Invisible Empires, and I was listening to it on my way home after my mom surprised me by taking the kids for the afternoon. This song really touched me in a new way as I thought about where I had missed my goals this morning when I earned the "Worst Mom in the World" trophy. I hope it helps you think about your priorities too.



What has God used to grab your attention lately?

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How God Grabs Your Attention While Folding Laundry...

There I am, defragmenting from a stressful day while hanging up laundry. Thinking about the hundred things I have left to do today. Still grinding my teeth at the lack of chivalry shown to me at the store today. Dwelling on the way my six-year old seemed argumentative today, or the way she burst into tears on the way home. I'm so caught up in my own little world that spins around me. Then I see it.

A reminder to pray. For the unreached. For the persecuted. For those doing God's work in difficult places.

What was I frustrated about again? Lord thank you that I have You. That I have all I need and more than I could want. Thank you for this messy house that shows I have three healthy and active children. Thank you for a husband who loves and provides for us. Thank you we have your word. Thank you for your Son. May He be proclaimed throughout the Nations.

Help me remember to PRAY!

I received this map from Voice of the Martyrs.

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Explaining the Name: Becoming Psyche

While we were at a field trip to the museum this weekend, I happened upon this beautiful statue of Cupid and Psyche. So, I figured this would be a great segue to explaining the name I chose for this blog. It makes perfect sense to me, but perhaps if you have not read C.S. Lewis's novel Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold, you may require some explanation.

Let me begin by briefly recapping the book. [Caution: spoilers included!] It is based on the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche. The main characters are two sisters, princesses in fact, though not in the way we imagine princesses: Orual and Istra, also known as Psyche. Orual grows up in fear, mistrust, and hatred for the faceless goddess Ungit. Carefree Psyche, meanwhile, feels drawn to the mountain, where the son of the goddess is said to live. Through a series of events, the people grow to believe Psyche is a goddess, but when events turn, so does their loyalty, and Psyche is left tied up on a cliff as a living sacrifice for the god of the mountain. Sometime later, Orual, wandering the mountainside in mourning for her lost sister, is surpised to find Psyche living there quite happy, but apparently delusional. Psyche claims that she is in a palace, that the water she gives her sister is wine, and that she has become the bride of the god of the mountain. Unable to convince her sister to return home with her but fearing she is being taken advantage of by a man, Orual persuades Psyche to light a candle in the night to reveal the form of this god, whom Psyche has been forbidden to see. When Psyche does this, trespassing against the god's command, he banishes her, condemning her to perform three impossible tasks. Orual, upon observing this mourns even more for the horrible fate to which she has doomed her sister. Through a series of dreams, Orual sees Psyche performing the tasks and helps her, unseen, despite experiencing immense pain in doing so. Later, Orual is judged by the gods and, amazingly, finds forgiveness. And as she is welcomed into fellowship, she catches her reflection and realizes that she too has become Psyche.

Why do I identify with this story? I see it as an allegory for the Christian life. Whether we come to faith easily as Psyche does and receive trials later, or whether it is our suffering that brings us to Christ, God uses our trials to conform us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Becoming Psyche is a metaphor for becoming the bride of Christ. Little by little He is transforming me.

If you haven't read the book yet, I highly recommend it. It is my favorite book, and one of the few books I have read more than once.



What is one book that has influenced your life?

Who you really are...

At church on Sunday, our pastor made a very disturbing comment.

"Who you are at home is who you really are."

It's disturbing because I often don't like the person I am at home. I'm easily frustrated. My temper quickly boils over. I have a mountain of things waiting for me to do them, and three little ones who see their own needs as supreme and immediate, and I tend to react out of selfishness rather than respond with love. (As I was writing this, I was further convicted by this article from a blog I follow).

My guess is that you probably don't like the person you are at home either.

This week I'm taking a good hard look at who I really am.

Because who I am has got to change into who I am becoming.

To help me along my way, I printed out some verse cards to place where I'll see them throughout the day.

What do you do to remember who you want to become?

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noise overload

I think I had an auditory migraine the last few days...

Alright, I know that's just an excuse, but I feel like I've reached my breaking point often in the last few days (and I only have three kids).

I find myself wanting to stay up entirely too late in the relative quiet to compensate for the noise overload I've been experiencing.

I also come up with ridiculous rules during the day like, "Absolutely no more talking ever!" or "You have to sit and look at books on the couch the rest of the day." Obviously, this is not what actually happens.

I know what I really need is not just quiet but a real Quiet Time with the Lord. Or maybe several.

Tomorrow my noise overload time will be, "Let's all sit on the couch and read our Bibles."

I was inspired today by this post from Inspired to Action. I need to start tomorrow right.

What do you do when you are on noise overload? And it's raining outside?

Learning new tricks

I wish I could draw. When I was young, I would try, and I remember thinking I was decent. But then at some point, I lost my confidence and stopped trying. I really have no excuse for not learning or trying harder. My mom taught high school art for years, and she would have been happy to teach me or send me to classes, but I never asked because I didn't think I would be good enough. 

But now I regret it. I regret it because I need to be able to draw in order to do so many of the things I want to do.

My daughter doesn't like to put forth effort in school or other things that are hard for her, that she feels she won't be good enough at to do well (hmmm, do I see a family character flaw here?). How do I get her to realize that she has to try in order to become good at things. That she will regret not working at them harder or learning them better later on when she lacks the skills to do the things she wants to do?

So, here I am. Thirty-something and looking for a book to teach me to draw better.  And hoping that seeing my example of learning and growing will help motivate my kids to do the same.

How do you motivate your kids? More importantly, how do you help them find self motivation?