Emily Cook's Blog, page 40
April 9, 2013
Why is my son crying?
(Inspired by Reasons my son is crying. Check it out, it's really funny!)
Why my boys cried. This morning.
Because I won't let him have second breakfast while I'm still cleaning up the first.
Because "he shut the door on meeee!"
Because he wouldn't move and he did get hurt.
Because his brother squirted him!
Because I wouldn't move daddy's care so he could sweep under it.
Because I needed to use my garden shovel.
Because I ran out of crackers.
Because his brother tattled on him for eating all the grapes.
Because I gave him a time out, because he was trying to climb up the side of the school.And because he sassed me.
Because he can't have cheese while in time-out.
Because his brother was pretending to shoot him with a stick.
Because he doesn't want a nap.
Because he tripped.
Because he really doesn't need a nap AT ALL.
I can't keep this photo collection up, folks. It's hard to snap a picture and offer sympathy or give direction at the same time! And I'd hate for them to think I'm not taking them seriously! But for this one morning, this was a good project for me. It helped me see how ridiculous my job can be, and why I have good reason to be as tired as I am!
Sometimes, I feel like I can work as hard as I can all day long, and still, at the end of the day, nobody is happy with me. And I am discouraged. Then I look at these photos and I realize, perhaps their approval is not the best standard!
Why my boys cried. This morning.
Because I won't let him have second breakfast while I'm still cleaning up the first.
Because "he shut the door on meeee!"
Because he wouldn't move and he did get hurt.
Because his brother squirted him!
Because I wouldn't move daddy's care so he could sweep under it.
Because I needed to use my garden shovel.
Because I ran out of crackers.
Because his brother tattled on him for eating all the grapes.
Because I gave him a time out, because he was trying to climb up the side of the school.And because he sassed me.
Because he can't have cheese while in time-out.
Because his brother was pretending to shoot him with a stick.
Because he doesn't want a nap.
Because he tripped.
Because he really doesn't need a nap AT ALL.
I can't keep this photo collection up, folks. It's hard to snap a picture and offer sympathy or give direction at the same time! And I'd hate for them to think I'm not taking them seriously! But for this one morning, this was a good project for me. It helped me see how ridiculous my job can be, and why I have good reason to be as tired as I am!
Sometimes, I feel like I can work as hard as I can all day long, and still, at the end of the day, nobody is happy with me. And I am discouraged. Then I look at these photos and I realize, perhaps their approval is not the best standard!
American Stir-Fry
Looking for something different to do with chicken? How about an American stir fry- no soy or sauces.
American Stir-Fry
from Samantha Shivler Young
4 boneless skinless chicken breast2 cups frozen carrots
2 cups frozen broccoli
1/4 onion, sliced however small you have to in order to hide it from your kids
2 cups cooked rice (my kids and hubby won't eat wild, so I use white long grain which is 1 cup dry)
1. Cut chicken into bite sized chunks, and saute over medium heat in a non-stick pan (I use cast iron) with pepper, garlic powder, and whatever other spices you like. No oil is necessary.
2. Start rice. (long grain takes about 20 minutes but adjust according to whatever you're using)
3.When chicken is cooked through, add onion, carrots, and broccoli along with 1/4 cup water for steaming.
4. Stir occasionally, checking for desired tenderness of veggies. If you let the chicken brown a little, it caramelizes in its own juices, giving it a little more flavor.
This feeds my family of 7 (5 kids, ages 3-12), and it is also yummy reheated.
Come back next Tuesday for another great recipe!
Weak and Lovely- Read the series hereJoin our facebook group for extra support!
American Stir-Fry
from Samantha Shivler Young
4 boneless skinless chicken breast2 cups frozen carrots
2 cups frozen broccoli
1/4 onion, sliced however small you have to in order to hide it from your kids
2 cups cooked rice (my kids and hubby won't eat wild, so I use white long grain which is 1 cup dry)
1. Cut chicken into bite sized chunks, and saute over medium heat in a non-stick pan (I use cast iron) with pepper, garlic powder, and whatever other spices you like. No oil is necessary.
2. Start rice. (long grain takes about 20 minutes but adjust according to whatever you're using)
3.When chicken is cooked through, add onion, carrots, and broccoli along with 1/4 cup water for steaming.
4. Stir occasionally, checking for desired tenderness of veggies. If you let the chicken brown a little, it caramelizes in its own juices, giving it a little more flavor.
This feeds my family of 7 (5 kids, ages 3-12), and it is also yummy reheated.
Come back next Tuesday for another great recipe!
Weak and Lovely- Read the series hereJoin our facebook group for extra support!
April 8, 2013
Weekly Challenge: Rethink your body
Taking care of a body is such a struggle. Some things are easier for me, like exercise and choosing real butter over margarine, and some things are so hard that they seem impossible. So here I am, still making new changes, making some commitments over (and over) again.
Still weak and loved.
But often, not feeling so lovely at all.
If you relate to this, I hereby order you to read this article immediately:
These are the lines of a story
When I read this article, I felt like I got to a tiny peek into a brain with healthy self-image.
It was beautiful.
I'd love to hear from you after you read it.What stood out to you the most?
Weak and Lovely- Read the series here
Join our facebook group for extra support!
Still weak and loved.
But often, not feeling so lovely at all.
If you relate to this, I hereby order you to read this article immediately:
These are the lines of a story
When I read this article, I felt like I got to a tiny peek into a brain with healthy self-image.
It was beautiful.
I'd love to hear from you after you read it.What stood out to you the most?
Weak and Lovely- Read the series here
Join our facebook group for extra support!
April 5, 2013
Random Recommendations
Here are a few of my recent favorites from around the web.
For the momsRefreshing Wisdom from a Young Caregiving Mother Anne Lamott writes, “I get thirsty people glasses of water, even if that thirsty person is just me.”
Parenting After a LossRemember baby Delia, whose short little life m
ade us smile and cry and question? Well, her mama has a new baby girl now, and she writes about what it's like to bring home a newborn after saying goodbye to another newborn. (This post reminded me of mine on fragility, and the one were I spilled.)
20 reasons why playing outdoors makes children smarter
recent bike ride. Welcome, spring!Just some more reasons to tighten the boundaries on technology, especially now that the weather is getting warmer!Let me be the one to say it out loud
To parents of small children."You are not a terrible parent if you yell at your kids sometimes. You have little dictators living in your house. If someone else talked to you like that, they’d be put in prison."
For my fellow bloggers and writers
The One Thing Your Blog Strategy Can't Do Without
Sweet encouragement to slow down, to break the rules, to listen, and to live in grace.
On faith and the Christian LifeFaith and WishingDoes God require "blind faith" from His children, or does he give us good, objective reason to trust Him? Kokul argues that we should ban the term "leap of faith" from our vocabulary, and recognize that Christian faith is not mere wishing, but active trust in a God who has proven Himself Trustworthy. (See also Faith and Facts)
14 Evidences for the ResurrectionA simple overview of many of the factual elements that contribute to the historical case for Jesus’ resurrection. No one point is by itself absolute proof that Jesus rose from the dead, but the evidence is cumulative(that is, each piece adds further weight to the total) and integrative (that is, the various facts fit together in a meaningful whole). The result is a very strong case that Jesus (a) died, (b) was buried, (c) rose from the dead, and (d) appeared alive to a variety of persons (1 Cor. 15:3-8). At the end of this article is an annotated bibliography of 14 books that examine in great detail the issues touched upon in the list of 14 evidences.
Sermon Review: The Easter Sermon heard by President Obama and his family
The entire sermon is played with comments from Pastor Wilken. This sermon made the news, by the way. Have a listen for yourself.
God vs. "the good"
Seeking one is not the same as seeking the other.
See also the second half of this post for a wonderful snippet from Luther on the resurrection.
Prayer for the Gift and Increase of Gentleness
I printed this one and hung it by my kitchen sink. (for "my neighbosr" I often substitute "my children," since they are my closest neighbors, and they do suffer the most when I am less-than-gentle.
Have you read anything interesting or thought-provoking this week? Leave me a link if you like!
April 4, 2013
Even in my messy basement
Again, I am that mother stomping around with the trash bag. "We have to much junk in this house!" I mutter, and I fume. Mess upon mess. And the mess is inside me, too, and I know it.
I do not have the mental capacity to see this as a teaching opportunity.
(Like I did this time: Cleaning rage, garbage bags, law and gospel)
Messy rooms, kids being kids, these things do not deserve the absolute rage I feel.
What in the world?
Why are there shoes in the cage? No wonder you kids can never find your shoes.
And while I'm cleaning one thing, another thing happens:
Are you kidding me?! Can't I even clean a room without having another room destroyed?!
I will never, ever, ever be caught up. I will never live in a house that is organized. My life will never be manageable. I will never have enough patience for these little people. They will never learn to take care of their stuff. I will never learn to teach them gently instead of just letting it go and then getting angry.
I am doomed to a life of constant work, endless effort, and I will never see any actual progress.
Ever.
In case you hadn't guessed it yet, my old friend depression paid me another visit last month.
Often, when my insides become twisted and tangled in this way, I try to fight it my untwisting and untangling things outside of me, like my messy house. I seek rest this way, rest through feeling accomplished or making something look perfect. And I don't get it.
The clutter in my home does clutter up my brain, but the rest I really seek is a rest for my soul, for my conscience.
Depression aside, true rest of soul, of conscience and heart and mind comes only in Jesus. There is no end to the cleaning, no organizing the tangled mess of my heart and my body. Not through my efforts, that is.
Flattened by the mess within and without, I had ears to hear the sweetness of the gospel, once again:
(From Pastor Melius:)
The devil wants us to have a clear conscience by the Law.While the devil is slithering the law, God is proclaiming loudly the gospel. Your sins are forgiven, don’t believe the devil, I love you I have in fact forgiven you, you are baptized, I forgive you…
What is that gospel?What the devil wants to do is for us to consider ourselves clear and clean by the Law which we can never do, we can never get to the end of it.
The Lord God wants us to have a clear conscience not by doing a bunch of things but by Him doing it for us.
The other day I had to go down – my kids had to clean the basement and the basement was an awful mess- you got Legos all over, stuff all over. My kids have to do this all the time and the basement is constantly a mess. They have two ways to get out from the dungeon of the basement and outside playing and jumping around. Either they have got to clean the whole thing, the entire mess, and the kids usually are making more of a mess while they are trying to clean, or, dad can come down and say, “All right, it’s clean, you can go.”
It’s the same thing here. The Lord wants us to have a clear conscience and there are two ways to get it. One, we can clean up our whole mess, all of our sins. And we tend to be committing more sins even while we are trying to clean. Or, God can come down with his voice. Our Father, can come down the stairs and say “It’s clean. You can be done. Go out and run and play and be joyful.”
This is the way we have a clear conscience. This is the way the devil is defeated by the gospel.
The italicized portion is a quote from Pastor Jared Melius on Issues Etc. Listen to the full podcast here.
Father,
In you there is rest for my soul, even in this place where everything is tangled. You have come to me with your voice, your Word, your Son. You come down with your voice, even way down here in my sin-filled basement. Give me ears to hear your voice always, and may I always dwell in the places where your Word is proclaimed, where Christ is present, come down for me.
Amen
Read more posts on depression here.
I do not have the mental capacity to see this as a teaching opportunity.
(Like I did this time: Cleaning rage, garbage bags, law and gospel)
Messy rooms, kids being kids, these things do not deserve the absolute rage I feel.
What in the world?
Why are there shoes in the cage? No wonder you kids can never find your shoes.
And while I'm cleaning one thing, another thing happens:
Are you kidding me?! Can't I even clean a room without having another room destroyed?!
I will never, ever, ever be caught up. I will never live in a house that is organized. My life will never be manageable. I will never have enough patience for these little people. They will never learn to take care of their stuff. I will never learn to teach them gently instead of just letting it go and then getting angry.
I am doomed to a life of constant work, endless effort, and I will never see any actual progress.
Ever.
In case you hadn't guessed it yet, my old friend depression paid me another visit last month.
Often, when my insides become twisted and tangled in this way, I try to fight it my untwisting and untangling things outside of me, like my messy house. I seek rest this way, rest through feeling accomplished or making something look perfect. And I don't get it.
The clutter in my home does clutter up my brain, but the rest I really seek is a rest for my soul, for my conscience.
Depression aside, true rest of soul, of conscience and heart and mind comes only in Jesus. There is no end to the cleaning, no organizing the tangled mess of my heart and my body. Not through my efforts, that is.
Flattened by the mess within and without, I had ears to hear the sweetness of the gospel, once again:
(From Pastor Melius:)
The devil wants us to have a clear conscience by the Law.While the devil is slithering the law, God is proclaiming loudly the gospel. Your sins are forgiven, don’t believe the devil, I love you I have in fact forgiven you, you are baptized, I forgive you…
What is that gospel?What the devil wants to do is for us to consider ourselves clear and clean by the Law which we can never do, we can never get to the end of it.
The Lord God wants us to have a clear conscience not by doing a bunch of things but by Him doing it for us.
The other day I had to go down – my kids had to clean the basement and the basement was an awful mess- you got Legos all over, stuff all over. My kids have to do this all the time and the basement is constantly a mess. They have two ways to get out from the dungeon of the basement and outside playing and jumping around. Either they have got to clean the whole thing, the entire mess, and the kids usually are making more of a mess while they are trying to clean, or, dad can come down and say, “All right, it’s clean, you can go.”
It’s the same thing here. The Lord wants us to have a clear conscience and there are two ways to get it. One, we can clean up our whole mess, all of our sins. And we tend to be committing more sins even while we are trying to clean. Or, God can come down with his voice. Our Father, can come down the stairs and say “It’s clean. You can be done. Go out and run and play and be joyful.”
This is the way we have a clear conscience. This is the way the devil is defeated by the gospel.
The italicized portion is a quote from Pastor Jared Melius on Issues Etc. Listen to the full podcast here.
Father,
In you there is rest for my soul, even in this place where everything is tangled. You have come to me with your voice, your Word, your Son. You come down with your voice, even way down here in my sin-filled basement. Give me ears to hear your voice always, and may I always dwell in the places where your Word is proclaimed, where Christ is present, come down for me.
Amen
Read more posts on depression here.
April 2, 2013
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
I tried a strange recipe. Mock garlic mashed potatoes.
Here's how it went.
First, skepticism."What is this mommy? Food?"So they say, son.
The kitchen help worried."Is that just for mommy? Not me?" he asked hopefully.
After I boiled it, I remembered that my food processor attachment is broken.So I used my mixer instead.
It is supposed to be smooth, so it can attempt to imitate potatoes.This was not smooth, but it was the best I could do.
I served them with dinner. I knew they would not like "cauliflower mashed potatoes," so I called them "mock potatoes," hoping they didn't really know what the word "mock" meant. They didn't, but they now know that mock means "something awful."
0 out of 6 Cook kids approved.
I thought it tasted fine, on the other hand, but then again, I actually like cauliflower.
If you do too, then you might like this recipe.
Let me know if you try it, and if you can fool anybody if you have the equipment to make them smooth!
Come back next Tuesday for another recipe!
Weak and Lovely- Read the series hereJoin our facebook group for extra support!
Here's how it went.
First, skepticism."What is this mommy? Food?"So they say, son.
The kitchen help worried."Is that just for mommy? Not me?" he asked hopefully.
After I boiled it, I remembered that my food processor attachment is broken.So I used my mixer instead.
It is supposed to be smooth, so it can attempt to imitate potatoes.This was not smooth, but it was the best I could do.
I served them with dinner. I knew they would not like "cauliflower mashed potatoes," so I called them "mock potatoes," hoping they didn't really know what the word "mock" meant. They didn't, but they now know that mock means "something awful."
0 out of 6 Cook kids approved.
I thought it tasted fine, on the other hand, but then again, I actually like cauliflower.
If you do too, then you might like this recipe.
Let me know if you try it, and if you can fool anybody if you have the equipment to make them smooth!
Come back next Tuesday for another recipe!
Weak and Lovely- Read the series hereJoin our facebook group for extra support!
April 1, 2013
few words
Well, they don't make t-shirts, but I needed some sort of acknowledgement, so I made myself one.
We made it, we are upheld, and now, I try to catch my breath.
Weak and Lovely series continues.... someday.Not today.
Why? Because...
We made it, we are upheld, and now, I try to catch my breath.
Weak and Lovely series continues.... someday.Not today.
Why? Because...
March 31, 2013
March 30, 2013
This Easter Vigil
Holy Week.Spring break.
The children are home and home is full of the life of children.
Yet even in this midst of great gifts, my old enemy fell heavy upon me, and my strength failed.My heart turned in upon itself and my own selfishness threatened to consume me.
My sins can overtake me so quickly. It’s shocking, how near I am to destroying with my own hands all that which I hold dear.
And yet, His love for me was not shaken even then.I may be shaken, but His love is not.
Days passed with the weight heavy about my ankles, with me using my strength to cling to the side of the pit.
Then suddenly, it lifted. Inexplicable mercy.
The sun feels like spring sun, and I am outstretched beneath it. On the picnic table at the park,Arms splayed, face turned toward the sun-- I receive.
Who am IThat I should live and he should die?My God my GodBeneath the rodWhy have you not forsaken me?Oh, taste and see- the Lord is free
Is this my cruciform life, here in the sun? How can it be that I receive such grace as that moment?
His body given for me. And the altar is stripped, as He was stripped of all things.
And I shall be stripped- of loved ones, of health, of life itself. But I shall still have Jesus. Jesus has me.
I think on our dear pastor whose course is now run.Stripped of all things, and yet he still has Jesus. Jesus still has him.
And I sit under children remembering the cross, and my big-hearted soft-hearted son burrows into me and says “I hate good Friday. I wish we could just skip to Easter.”
But we have a funeral to go to yet, dear son.Just a little more sadness.
We wait.I will wait with you.
March 29, 2013
good news
Good read for Good Friday:
It is finished
Good Friday?
Listen:
Good friday
The Passion of Christ
photo credit: flickr
