Easter.

(found here)

 

This is one of my favorite bloggers (and writers - she has a great mom devotion book!)

and she posted this today.

I love it.

 

You should read her stuff.

I mean it.

 

She posts often about raising godly children - in a less than self-righteous way.

Of creating love and mercy in our families. Of showing grace. Of showing right.

And truth. And teaching kids that their Jesus is a real part of their life.

She speaks honestly and frankly and with Godly wisdom.

Seriously..read her stuff.

 

I can't even begin to pick my favorite posts - she's recently posted two that are high on my mental "think over" list - one on what we should say to our daughters, and one on entitlement.

 

She also runs a ministry in Kenya for pregnant girls - called Mercy House.



beautiful.

Yesterday I sat "criss cross apple sauce" my face 8 inches from a bathrooom cabinent - and two little girls fixed my hair for church.

They brushed and combed, combed and brushed.

And they talked.

Mama, don't turn your head now.

Mama, you have to be still

Mama, this is a big tangle. It might hurt a little.

Mama, now do you want me to spray it?

my words. coming back to me.

and they combed and they brushed.

And they talked.

Mama, you look BEAUtiful.

Mama, your hair looks GREAT.

Mama, you look SOOOOOOO PRETTY!

my words. coming back to me.

Because I think its important to instill these words of affirmation to them. Even now. Every day - oh you look so cute! you are beautiful! pretty, pretty pretty!

And my favorite - go show your daddy how cute you are!

Now, I've read the discussions on whether you should even recognize "looks" or "clothes" or "pretty" to little girls - that you should say "You are..." not "you look..." and all the discussions on how to help create a positive self image in girls without placing undue "world view beauty standards" into their impressionable young minds.

I get it.

Our words matter. But I think we can not be stingy with encouraging our girls to feel and be beautiful. And to hear it from those who love them sincerely.

They will fight the world's view of them their whole lives - but right now, they don't know there is a view that is looking at them other than mine. And in that, I will speak what I hope develops confidence in them. A never-faltering self-awareness that they are created wonderfully, and beautifully - and that yes, there is such thing as "wild and wooly-booly hair" but its nothing that matters more than who they are.

My girls get the same " You look BEAUTIFUL" whether they have on their best dresses or a conglamoration of dress-up tutus and princess accessories that are over-the-top.

And as long as they will let me, I will shower them with words of affirmation - and when the world teaches them the words to come back with "But Mama, I don't.. or I'm not.. or I am.. or this is" then, then we will deal with the competition of the lies of the world and the truth of their Creator.

My girls, you are beautiful.

And then... there were two!

To say its been a crazy month would quite certainly be one of the largest understatements of my entire life. It has been insane.. and looks to be that way for the remainder of the next 2 weeks and honestly, probably through all of April - and maybe then we'll hit a summer groove and level out, but the jury is still out on that.

But let's break the silence here that's been over a month in the making, ready? Here we go!

For weeks and weeks, maybe even a few months, every telephone ring and every text message was met with a jump start - is it time? are they coming?

Twins. Double the babies. Two. Forever. Twins. As in more than one.

Babies. With an S.

Coming.

And then, it rang again. Middle of the night. It has to be - it's time.

Rushing and running and hearts racing. No telling what their mama was thinking as all of us worked through our own crazy to get there. Scrambling, a 3 a.m. shower. Don't forget the camera, the list. Stop and wait. We forgot the purse - the insurance card. Ride again. Time to fly - hope no one's on these dark roads. Don't need a ticket at 3 a.m.

Fly into town. Swing in and rush up.

To wait. All is well. Now we wait.

Twins. They are coming.

We sit and we wait, and we laugh and we wait, and we nap and we wait. Slow progress. Their Mama hanging tough, sleeping it off, giving dirty looks to silly comments. She doesn't care if no one else eats, since she can't.

Make a trip, out to pick up lunch - phone rings - come back, fully dilated.

Twins. They are coming.

One last visit. Their mama is getting ready. Tough and calm. No faltering. Let's get these babies here.

We wait and wait. One text. 1:23 p - Parker is here - and he's screaming. He took less than 10 minutes to get here. "Slid right out" is what his Mama says.

6 lbs 2 oz. Baby A, Thing 1, he's here.

We wait again. And again.

Finally. 1:53p - Powell is here.

Whew. Two babies. Here. The way their mama wanted them to get here.

We wait for pictures and we breathe deeper. And Daddy paces to get back to his Baby Girl knowing that her baby boys are now here.

And we smile and squeal as the first pictures make their way into the waiting room. And we bid our time to get back to see this new family.

Twins. They are here.

And their mama, superwoman she is. Delivered those babies just the way she wanted. Up and walking and strong. We don't know it then but she fought to get Powell out, breech and stubborn - much too much like those for whom he's named.

6 lbs. 12 oz.

13 pounds of babies.

Twins. They are here.

And the doors open and you rush back. Tiny faces and hats with names. A tired mama. Shaking as the hormones and medicines calm their way out of her system.

Twins. They are here.

And there in the lack of stillness - you see it. Two. There are two. Perfectly healthy, perfectly scrumptious boys. One purrs and purrs for the first hour. A few peeks at tiny eyes. Wrap and rewrap. Pass baby to arms, arms to baby, baby to arms.

Boys,
You were worth every minute of the wait. And we are so glad you're here. And it'll be a while before you know it, but your Mama - she's a superhero. Just ask me when you are ready to hear it for yourself!