Starbucks Moments

I admit it...I love Starbucks coffee. My drink of choice is a Venti Cinnamon Dolce Latte. Yummy! But what I love most about Starbucks is the atmosphere. I love the atmosphere so much that I would love to decorate my home to reflect this wonderful experience.

Picture this...You would walk through a fabulous paw print free door and enter a sanctuary of relaxation complete with the irresistable smells of fresh-brewed goodness and brownies. As you walk through the entry way, there would be some fabulous city-inspired photographs hanging on the wall that were photographed by my son, Bobby. The indirect lighting would provide just enough lighting for people to hang out and talk with each other but not enough lighting for anyone to work, study or do homework...the point is to relax. By the fireplace, a stage would be set up with a local artist softly playing an acoustic guitar or the smooth sounds of Diana Krall gently playing through the sound system. There would be several gooshy, soft, comfortable couches with lots of leg room and ottomons to prop your feet up. Some amazing person would already know what you want to order and it would arrive to you hot and fresh. You would spend more time talking with friends and less time working.

Ah...that is a beautiful dream. I am not really good at relaxing. You can ask my kids or husband about that. But I believe that this is what God wants us to do everyday. He wants us to sit down, stop doing and just relax in Him. To carve time out of our schedule, to be still and listen.

So I will spend some Starbucks moments with my Heavenly Father...breathing in His heavenly aroma, relaxing in my big chair and listening for God's whisper.

The Pressure is On!

On Saturday, I did the thing that many a mom does this time of year...I watched my kids play recreational soccer. Both of my boys have been playing soccer for years through a great organization called AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization). Not only do my kids learn how to be a better athlete but they also learn the importance of goods sportsmanship.

Tommy, my youngest son, had his game at 2:30 pm. While it was overcast, it was still steamy outside. He was burning up the field with his amazing running skills. So needless to say that between the hot weather and all of his running, Tommy was pretty tired.

There was a moment when he was near to where I was sitting in my soccer mom approved portable chair. He had about three or four guys all over him so he just kicked the ball out of bounds. Now anyone that knows Tommy realizes that he probably could have done some fancy footwork and gotten the ball away from all of the other players. However, he chose to kick it out of bounds.

So in real supportive and encouraging way (note the sarcasm here), I yelled out, "Tommy, what are you doing?"

Tommy responded simply with, "Mom, I was under a lot of pressure!"

The entire row of soccer parents burst into laughter. It was a funny Tommy moment.

So that got me to thinking...how many times in life have we gotten into a precarious situation and tried with all of our might to get out of the situation? Maybe we were under a lot of pressure from work, family, friends, church. We may have thought we could control the situation with alot of fancy words and manuevers when what we should have done is just kicked it out of bounds and into God's control.

So, the next time you are faced with a situation that is just too much, don't be afraid to kick it out of bounds and cry out , 'God, I am under a lot of pressure..help me!'

I got schooled

My oldest son, Bobby, is home schooled. One of the advantages of home schooling is that we can tailor his learning experiences to be in line with his decision to go into full-time ministry. The way that we have done this is that we have asked our youth minister, Josh, to use Bobby has a youth intern for the ministry. I know that Bobby will learn so much more through this experience than he will ever learn in a classroom environment.

Bobby spends Wednesdays assisting Josh in many different ways. He not only takes care of some administrative tasks for Josh but also helps plan different creative elements and ideas for the ministry. Bobby even spent some time calling various students to invite them to rpm/fuel groups that evening. In one of his conversations, he ended the call with 'dude, you gotta come to small groups...it will be life-changing.' We can sometimes sugar coat our conversations but that is the real deal...life-changing.

So I got schooled. I spend so much time teaching my child and he just taught me. When was the last time I called someone and asked them to come to church and that it would be life-changing? I cannot even remember.

Go for the Gold!

So who watched the Olympics last night? Michael Phelps is a MACHINE. The way he effortlessly glides across the water is like nothing I have ever seen before and it was truly amazing to watch! While I enjoyed watching Michael win another gold medal, the person I ended up watching the most was Michael’s mom. You could see the mother’s love and pride in her eyes.

I listened to the commentators tell us how Michael’s coach approached his mom when Michael was 11 years old. The coach told Michael’s mom that Michael had something special and that he could be a great Olympic champion with the proper training. I suppose Ms. Phelps could have ignored the coach and not allowed her son to train to compete or simply dismissed the coach’s comments as hype. But Michael made a decision when he was 11 years old that he would begin training and eventually compete in the Olympics. Michael’s mom believed in her son and believed that with the training from his coach that he would be a great champion.

My oldest son, Bobby, feels called into ministry. While he is still not sure what field of ministry he will serve, he knows he has been called by the God…the great “Coach”. The “Coach” has shown me that my son has something special and with proper training could be an incredible minister. I suppose I could ignore the “Coach” and not allow or encourage my son to go into ministry because I was afraid of what might happen to him. I suppose I could simply dismiss the “Coach’s” comments as hype and not believe that my son is truly called into ministry. BUT a little over a year ago, Bobby felt God’s calling into full-time ministry. I believe in Bobby and I believe that with training from his “Coach” that Bobby will be a great champion for Christ.

So I sit in the stands…I look out to my son and with a mother’s love and pride as I realize that my son is amazing even if there are no gold medals around his neck.

An "A" Player

Last night when Tommy arrived home from practice, he came bolting through the front door yelling out, "Hey mom, guess what? I'm an "A" player!" He and his dad had just rolled in from unified soccer practice. These practices are done prior to teams being formed and being labeled an "A" player is a big deal because it means you are an "A"wesome soccer player.

When Tommy got over to me I gave him lots of praise, attention and hugs. His love language is touch and words of affirmation so it's important that I stop what I am doing and give him the attention he needs from me. I am so proud of my little peanut and I want to encourage him to use his atheletic talent for the Lord. He is my heart's prized possession. I love you, Tommy!

I believe many of us are the same way and need to be affirmed by family, friends and co-workers. Take a moment today and choose to bless someone with a kind or affirming word. Let your loved ones know how deeply you care for them through your words. The rewards are priceless.

They grow up too fast

Today was my son's first day at an official job. As I drove home today, I passed his work place and saw his car. I have to say that I did get a little teary-eyed. In that fleeting moment, I felt such joy and pride for the great young man my son is becoming. He has a lot to offer the world.

I cherish the days we have together and can hardly believe he is 17 now. I love that I get to watch him grow in his relationship with Christ. What an honor and privlege it is to be Bobby's mom. He is my heart's treasure.

I love you, Bobby!