Modeling Grace

For the umpteenth time that day, I heard the wailing begin.

With a sigh, I dried off my hands and headed towards the bedroom...dreading having to sort out what I thought for certain would be yet another sibling conflict. Something we've been having a LOT of lately!

Instead, the wailing child had merely bonked his chin on closet while getting dressed for bed.

My first response, I am ashamed to say, was to judge. If he hadn't been hopping around and being silly, he probably wouldn't have hurt himself in the first place.

Ouch.

Why can't I just merely comfort and console?! I winced as I realized that I often do not model grace for my children. Not only do they suffer because of my lack of compassion, but I have to ask myself whether this lack of grace be influencing some of the dynamics behind the recent surge in sibling rivalry?

Definitely something to think about.

I don't know why I struggle to receive and give grace...I suppose I could begin tracing back to my childhood and point to all the factors that might have influenced me, but honestly, the fact is that I do struggle with it. I think it would be much more helpful to just accept that truth and focus my energy on learning more about grace from this point on.

I was excited to see this post from Simple Mom in my inbox this morning. Maybe a good place to start (or return to) is by learning how to heap grace on myself. If I am not receiving or working out the grace in my own life, then I obviously won't be heaping it on my family, either! And oh, how we all need heaps of grace!

I typically struggle with knowing how to take care of myself...it was, in fact, one of the biggest factors in our having to leave Venezuela when we did. Years of not heaping grace on myself, not recognizing my limits, and not taking care of myself set me up for a spectacular crash that I'm still recovering from.

The funny thing is, though, while I remember those years with sorrow over my lack of grace, my children remember those same years with fondness as they focus on the good times. The special times we shared as a family and the fun things we did together...I'm so glad that grace is smoothing out the wrinkles in our family history.

I took the stress assessment test, by the way, and got a score of 220 which means..."Take care of yourself now. You have borderline high stress. Your chance of accident or illness related to your stress within two years is moderate." I guess that means I need to go heap some grace on myself today.

Simple Mom Giveaway

Simple Mom is having a great giveaway this week over here to celebrate the launching of her company Simple Living Media. Simple Mom, Simple Kids, and Simple Marriage are some of my favorite reads, so go check it out! I also look forward to checking out Simple Bites, Simple Homeschool, and Simple Organic. I believe that all of these blogs have giveaways this week, too...giveaways end this Saturday!

Jewelry Giveaway!

Okay, you really have to go check this one out...a jewelry giveaway from Simple Mom! It all looks beautiful! Click here to see what the fuss is about. :)

Simple Mom also has a wonderful post about "quality 'nothing' time" that I really needed to hear today!

Basket of Goodies Giveaway

Check out another Simple Mom Giveaway...

a basket of goodies for

moms and little ones!

Simple Mom also has some great

simple holiday decoration ideas...

Another Great Giveaway!

Today, Simple Mom has another great giveaway on reusable grocery/shopping bags. They look great...really cute and a practical way to cut down on the number of plastic bags littering the environment. :)

Go check it out!

This could be you!

Giveaway at Simple Mom!

Quick! Head on over to www.simplemom.net/ for a chance to win a really awesome photo album giveaway (digital scrapbook). Even if you don't win the book, Inkubook has a great deal on photo books for Simple Mom readers...you pay shipping only if you invite a friend and make a book! Well, you also have to have a special code from Simple Mom. I'm trying it myself...

But HURRY, this giveaway ends at midnight tonight...

Even if you don't enter the giveaway, Simple Mom is a great blog with some really neat and interesting things...