Potty Training

I hate potty training.  It's tedious, time-consuming, and messy.  But now and again Marley makes it funny.  I've been bribing her with marshmallows ("smooshmel-dows", she calls them)- one for pee and two for the other one.  About half the time she tries to get two marshmallows out of me, even though she's only earned one. 

So the other day she comes running into the livingroom, sans pants or underwear, excitedly yelling "Mama, I pooped, I pooped!!".  Being the fantastic mommy that I am, I sighed  jumped up off the couch and made a big deal out of going to the bathroom to see said deposit.  Only there wasn't a deposit, just liquid.  When I pointed out to her that there was no poop in the potty, her "I want two marshmallows" little mind kicked into gear.

Without missing a beat she replied, "Yes there IS poop in there, Mama.  The poop is hiding under the pee.".

I gave her two marshmallows just for being so inventive.

Looks Like Her Daddy

Most people, when they see Marley, say that she looks like me.  I  see her dad in her.  I guess it's just a matter of perspective.  I've been going back through some of the photos of her first six months of life.  It's been quite a trip down memory lane!  And one thing that really struck me is how much she looked like Jim when she was a baby...

This is a dead ringer for a look he used to give.

And how much Jim looked like his dad!

I think this is my favorite. 

We called it "The Dillon Stare". 

Jim liked it enough to have me print it out on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and hang it on the fridge!

She looks more like her dad in this one for what her finger is doing than anything else! 

 HA!

First Halloween.  Jim wanted her to have a hat...

...but all she cared about was her toes!

We used to joke when she was a baby that there was no way he could deny her.  She's lost those chubby cheeks, but I still see him in her every day. 

Especially the nose.  And the eyes.  And the stare.

Wordless Wednesday

May 2011, almost 3.

Wordless Wednesday... Sort Of.

This photo was taken in the situation room during the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. Look at the faces- no words are necessary.

*Thanks to Carlos Whitaker @ Ragamuffin Soul for the photo. You can click on his blog in the right column.

Authenticity and Judgement

 This came across my email the other day, and I thought that it was good.  I need these reminders sometimes! 

" CHOOSING AUTHENTICITY "

by

James McDonald

     Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when there is the log in your own eye?    - MATT 7:1-4

     All in favor of authenticity?  Here is the first step in practicing authenticity.

     First . . . by not judging others. Notice that it says in Matthew 7:1, "Judge not, that you be not judged." Now, I've got to tell you, people are always, like, slapping that on everything. "Oh, you can't judge; don't judge!"

     That's not what the verse means. Jesus wasn't categorically dismissing all things requiring judgment. Look at Matthew 7:6 where He talks about precious teachings and the decision not to share with people who don't want to listen. Doesn't that require a judgment?

     You can judge actions/behavior. (see 1 Cor 5) Parents, don't ever let your kids back you away from judging actions by saying, "Don't judge!" We have to judge actions. Call a lie a lie. Disrespect disrespect, and disobedience disobedience! The gift of discernment is a spiritual gift.

     Here's what Jesus is talking about . . . what we don't judge:

- We don't judge motives. You don't know why people are doing what they're doing. Don't ever let yourself say, "I know why she's like that." "I know why he's doing that." No, you do not! Only God knows a person's heart. He doesn't want us judging the territory that is His venue.

The judging of the heart . . . that is God's job!

- We don't judge appearance. Don't judge a person by the color of their skin or the clothes that they wear, or the car that they drive, or the place that they live, or the job that they have. Don't judge people by what they look like. You can't tell a book by it's cover. You can't! And God hates that.

- We don't judge harshly. Don't hold people to a standard that you're not keeping.

     Notice in Matthew 7:2, "For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged." Yikes! So, the judgment that I give to others, that's the judgment that I'm going to get. If you're constantly judging, God's like, "You're writing the script I'm going to use to judge you!" Not great!

     If you want to get serious about authenticity as a person, harshly judging others' motives and appearance has to stop.

                   - James MacDonald

 *James MacDonald is the senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Illinios.