Well, hello there...

My blog has been a little dry lately. Well, a lot dry. We’ve had a lot going on in the Gebbink House. Primarily we’re excited to share that we will be adding another Gebbink baby to our home in September. This means that mommy has spent much of the last 2 months lying on the couch waiting for “all day” sickness to pass. During this time I’ve also been riding the “Potty Training Rollercoaster”. Pee in the potty, pee on the floor, pee in the potty, pee on the floor. Diapers. Pull ups. Dora Panties. Screw it. (Today we are back on the train… again). Those things and planning my mom’s big bday bash at home, and gathering a group of ladies to attend the Hearts at Home conference the same weekend. There has been A LOT going on!

Truly, I only write when God has really placed something on my heart to share. I once heard in a sermon that everyone should have an altar in their lives- a place where they share or demonstrate the great things that God has done. Well, I guess that my blog is my altar then. My prayer has always been that I hope others can learn through the lessons God is teaching me.

Lately, in addition to the aforementioned activities, we have been finding our way through the “Terrific Two’s”. Amelia truly is a wonderful little girl, but, just like any two year old, some days are better than others. Through a series of books, speakers, and friends, I have come to a really important conclusion. My job is not just to raise her, but to TRAIN her. I am challenged with, not only disciplining her, but making her a disciple of the Lord. Once upon a time I thought that my job as a stay at home mom was to cook, clean, and do laundry. Suddenly I’m realizing that Jason and I are responsible for developing Amelia’s character. For giving her a heart for God and other people. To make her into a decent human being! Wow. This is so much bigger than timeouts vs. spankings. This is, like, teaching her about integrity and compassion. I didn’t know this started at age 2! And, since these are things that I struggle with somedays, how on earth am I supposed to teach it to her? So, I’m praying for a lot of wisdom, and I’m studying. If you were trying to learn a language, an art or how to change the oil on your car, you would find some resources and study. So, I’m learning. I’m reading some great books right now including “5 Love Languages of Children”, “Preschool Wisdom: what your preschooler desperately wants you to know”, “Love and Logic for Early Childhood”, and “Shepherding a Child’s Heart”.

All this to say that I’m also very grateful and honored that God gave me this job. While I loved my time in the working world, I never realized how satisfying it would be to mold and influence another person’s life. It is such a huge responsibility, but I’m totally up for the challenge. I’m sure there will be much more on this to come, but if you wonder where I am, I’m either reading parenting books, or wiping up pee off the floor.