Book Titles

Sometimes all I REALLY need is a great title of a book. One that tells me what to do so that I don't have to read the whole book. This is the book that caught my eye:

The title is: "Loving Our Kids On Purpose"

For those three of you that have read my blog, you know that I've written about a recent experience I had with an Extreme Heart Makeover. One where I knew that God was calling me to be intentional with my kids and a relationship with them. Well, let's just say some time has past and I know once again in my heart of hearts that it's time to put my intentional hat on again and (to use the books' catchy title..,) Love my girls on purpose. I picked up a copy that my friend had and held it in my hands thinking to myself that this very book had all the answers to my problems at home. As I stood in front of the "parenting" section at my local Christian bookstore to buy a copy, I realized that I can walk away already charged and encouraged to do a great job just from the many titles I had just taken in. If I were to read a title that said: "Become a Diligent Mother," I personally wouldn't buy the copy and take the time to read it. I simply walk away and pray that God teaches me how to become a more diligent mother. Keep in mind that laziness is my weakness.

This is all to say that I walked away from that entire section of help on parenting knowing what it was specifically that God wanted me to do in this current stage as a mother. Love them on purpose. Four days later an opportunity for me to intentionally or purposefully be with them came up. I had joy in my heart and knew that growth in relationships with them was taking place. I'm so thankful that the Holy Spirit can exponentially teach more than books can. [For those of you that learn much from books and their application, I applaud you. For me, reading needs to be fun and an escape! Thanks for understanding our differences! Oh, and I'm sure the book that I mentioned is wonderful and I would hope that I haven't caused anyone to NOT read it by what I have said. I'm just just a cliff-notes kind of a girl!]

Change

When I was a little girl, I re-arranged furniture like crazy. I am the baby of four kiddos. I grew up where we rotated bedrooms every year. That change was so good for me. For some reason, I need and desire change. One year I would have a room to myself and another year I would share with one sister. The next year, it would be the other sister. I LOVED that change. When I was in high school, I remember re-arranging my parents furniture for them. I would mix up the living room like it was nobody's business. I loved it.... for a time. Then, it needed it again.

I will tell you that having three babies in three and a half years in three different states was a LOT of change. I really think that's why I was able to do it. When my youngest turned one and I had been in the same place for over a year, I didn't know what to do with myself. So, I re-arranged every room that I could.

Secretly, I loved that my husband wanted to "go into ministry" and we had to down-size because it gave us a "noble" reason to move and have more "change."

We had lived in that home for three years before moving...... the longest we had lived anywhere since we had been married. Now, we've lived in this smaller house for three years (in a couple of months.) I've been blogging since 2007 and I can't count how many times I've changed the "look" of my blog. Heck, I've even wanted to change my gmail address just because I run now and how does ridermeyergirl fit into that category?

This brings me to my current desire for change. I'm house hunting. Nick took a new job and I also believe our season has ended at the current school my kiddos have been attending. I don't take buying and selling a home lightly, but I would like you to join with me in the praying stages of this transition for my family. I know that God loves it when I seek Him on such things. I would love to have all the discernment I need to move forward here. So, today, I changed the look of my blog and I seek the Lord's heart on where He wants us to go next. I know from His amazing Spirit that it is time once again to move my family. I only ever want to be right where He wants me!!!!