I Believe In the Magic of Childhood, Santa, Wisdom, and Truth

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I believe!

I believe in the magic of childhood, the world as our playground, and the miracle of things unseen. I believe in Santa Claus, Jesus, Angels, and Saints – I believe in nourishing imaginations, cultivating wisdom, teaching truth, serving others, and embracing life’s goodness.

O.k so, you’re saying; ‘Santa Claus’? – Yep, I’m going to go there today….

I have never thought much about this particular subject until the other day- I witnessed a little girl in a class I teach telling my girls ‘Santa is not real’.  I sat silently and proceeded to let my girls give their argument as to ‘why they believe’. My momma heart was aching of coarse as I so badly wanted to interrupt the conversation. I wanted to shield my children – tell great stories, and well, I had a few not so nice thoughts tucked in my mind as well {I’m just keeping it real..}!

When we first had children I contemplated the “Santa” thing – was I lying to my children if we “believed in Santa”. Would they know the true meaning of Christmas? How would I find a happy balance between Jesus and Santa? Why was I even worrying about such a silly thing, anyways? After all, Santa came to our house, I believe in Jesus, Angels, Saints, and I think I turned out ok. {Ha, maybe that’s a stretch}

We have many friends who don’t ‘do the Santa thing’ and that doesn’t bother me one tidily-wink.  I respect their decision, love their children,  and love them all just the same!

But, this was different – this was my children under attack by their peers. A reality I knew would one day come but, not here and not now! What would they say? In the end what would they believe? Could their childlike innocence withstand the pressure of peers?

Indeed it would!! What originally felt like a doomed circumstance soon became the most humbling of experiences – I  have taught them well. I have taught them to believe in the magic of childhood, Santa, wisdom, and truth. I have taught them to love themselves, teach, and serve others just as Jesus does. I have taught them to be leaders, world changers, and independent thinkers. I share this because for once they didn’t need me – they did it themselves!

They held firm to the things they believe in most – they told stories of Jesus, shared stories of Santa, educated about the Saints, and most importantly they stayed true to themselves. Now, they may not have changed the little eight year old classmates mind about Santa but, they certainly walked away that day a little more confident.

Dear, Sweet Child

Santa is real. From the ringing of bells to the magic of twinkling lights – he is real. Santa is a feeling – a joyful bond that unites many. Just as God uses us to serve, share His stories, and teach others – Santa does much the same.

Santa has some big shoes to fill and the work simply cannot be done without the help of many. Moms, Dads, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, and Kids of all ages help keep the magic of Christmas alive – and, you my sweet child have done just the same.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer…”

May the light inside you burn bright always and may the ‘ringing’ of Santa’s bell ding forever. May you always hold tight the beliefs you hold so close to your heart: for it is the roots of truth that one day will become the wings which set you free.

Letters to Our Daughters; A Letter Worth Reading

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It’s been a month since our physical move and yes, I’m slowly making my way back to this space (notice the new URL) . So please pardon the dust as I am doing a bit of ‘blog spring cleaning’.

I’ve wanted to come back to this space and write for sometime but haven’t been able to find the words to do so. My motivation has been low, my attitude has been bad, and well, today is the day I’m finally jumping back into the blogosphere linking up with Brooke over at Bye, Comparison and accepting a little blog ‘challenge’ from my dear friend Crystal – I’m joining these lovelies and writing a letter about worth to my daughters…

Nearly 9 1/2 years ago I quit my job to stay at home with our little bundle of pink cuteness. I still can’t think of anywhere else I would rather have been at that time; other than with her. The days were long but, I was so very blessed. There were diaper changes, walks to the park, cuddles, snuggles, books to be read, and hours upon hours of bonding. I was so in love-

Then, something changed – the ‘norms‘ of today’s society and the cultural expectations of women took a hold of my heart strings. My once felt feelings of bliss quickly turned sour. Although, I was (and still am) so grateful to be home with our baby (quickly followed by babies two, three, and four) it has at times seemed as if my personal worth was deflating with each passing day spent at home.

Sure, the constant juggling act of raising four kids, being a wife, and homeschooling keeps me on my toes but, I still frequently feel the pressure of society to work outside the home; you know, bring in a paycheck, help with finances, have a title, dress up, and ‘be important‘. With all of this said – what is it that measures worth?

Is it the number of diapers changed in a day?

The number of home cooked meals?

A degree earned?

Or is it bringing in a pay check and sitting in a corporate chair?

Isn’t being a Godly wife and mother worth something?

Sure, well meaning friends, family, and total strangers are quick to tell you that staying home is the hardest job on earth or that being a homeschool mom IS a job – but, do they really mean it?

I struggle- everyday! I struggle with the voices in my head telling me what I “should be doing ….” but, are the voices real or simply that of a culture that has gone astray? Who am I? And more importantly who has God made me to become?

I am after all worthy and so are you!

Dear Sweet Girls,

My wish for you in this life is to find the strength within to fight life’s battles – so dear child, choose your battles wisely as there are many along the way.

Dream as big as the mountains and may mankind never hold you back from doing great things for His kingdom – may you always remember to stop often and help others who may have gone astray.

Love deeply, love unconditionally, and ask for forgiveness often.

May your life’s journey be filled with adventure – as your life’s worth will not simply be measured by that which you reap but, rather what you have sewn along the way.

May the works of your hand sew seeds of grace, gratitude, love, respect, integrity, purity, and respect each and every step.

Remember you are loved and your worth is not mearly measured by what you wear, the money you make, nor the sacrifices you have made along the way.

He has made you worthy! You are a child of God!

Your worth is in the journey and the ever lasting mark you will one day leave behind.

Love always, Mommy

Are you a mom who also struggles with staying home? Are you a mom who is trying to run your own home business or juggle the many hats of a working mom? Then stick around – there is a lot more coming from this writing ‘well’.

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A Call to Quiet; The Future of This Space


It’s been brewing for quite sometime – it’s been overflowing in my mug. That tug at my heart strings calling me to a season of quiet- a season to learn, absorb knowledge, and pass it onto my kids. Can you relate?


With our upcoming move there will inevitably be a lot of change and a whole lot to learn. These changes don’t worry me any much but rather, bring about an exciting challenge. If there is one thing I have learned over the years it is God doesn’t do “comfort” but, God certainly does “rock the boat”. When we are challenged we grow and we seek Him more- we have to trust, and make the conscious decision to be present in our daily life.

With the noise of the outside world these days of being fully present in our lives has proven to be quite a challenge. Take a drive to a nearby restaurant – take note how many times you see someone having a conversation and now take note of how often that same individual glances at his/her phone during that conversation. Take note of how many ‘selfie picture’ takers you see sitting in the corner booth – or how many people you see whipping out their phone just to capture the perfect mouth watering plate of food picture. Then there is my personal favorite – take note of the child sitting in the high chair with a tablet in hand just to keep him/her ‘quiet’.

We have become a society of ‘quiet‘ not because we are learning and growing; but, simply because we are no longer talking. We have become quiet but, all the while we have become so very loud. 

We no longer only look to those around for acceptance we look to the world. We are constantly searching for the ‘pat on the back‘ saying “well done sister, that apple pie looks amazing”, “wow, you look gorgeous, “nice deal“, and on and on…

I say all of this not to shame you as I too am guilty of such behaviors. We all are!

Here is the thing, that constant tug of my heart and so much of our move to the country is far more than a ‘just’ a move – there is a purpose and a challenge being set before me (and, you!)

The purpose – I no longer want to be the one ‘just‘ sharing my “berry crisp” in picture form on the world wide web for all to see – I want to invite you to my home; open my door, sit, talk , laugh, cry, and yes, share it over berry crisp (by the way if you aren’t signed up for the “Homestead Happenings” you should be – I shared that recipe last week ;-). 

This upcoming journey is a call to be quiet over tea without the noise of the world and buzzing of electronics, a call to be present in each day, a call to open our door, learn, and grow together.

So what does that mean for this space – it means anytime I write in this space it will be from the heart, it will be a truth, a tug of the heart strings message, a story dug up from my well. This space will be reserved for family and friends to ‘gather around our table‘ without physically being there. It will be a place to continue to learn and grow together- without the burden of not feeling ‘good enough‘. It will be a place of raw truth, pain, and the journey that makes us who we are called to be. 

(Also for the latest in “Homestead Happenings” SIGN UP HERE (its free!) I promise I don’t spam your in box – no one has time to read 100 emails from me (ha, I don’t have time to write that many anyways) Its simply a way for me to connect to you better and bless you with “little inbox surprises” periodically from my homestead to yours….you know things like berry crisp 😉