Lessons learned from a newborn- part 2

Once I'm living and breathing, I want to learn. 

To this end, I've made a personal commitment to myself to find lessons in every (or as many) of my life experiences as possible. As a 30-something new mom, I found myself overwhelmed...with love and stress at the same time as each moment since July 31st, 2013 presented a new and sometimes unpredictable experience. :) As I reflected, I realized that the lessons I learned in the past two months really could be applicable to many instances where we are faced with challenges or an overwhelming, new experience.  If this is your first time stumbling upon this blog, or haven't visited in awhile, you can find Part 1 here.

So here we goooo....

girls day out

Third, set reasonable goals/expectations for yourself. In my example, I found that Daelyn Grace would not be put down for a significant period of time, so I had to give up  trying to do anything major. I quickly learned the beauty of those baby carriers/slings for being mobile and keeping my hands free but it was still only so much I could do. Instead of bucking my head constantly to the wall because I wasn't getting to keep the house spik-and-span, nor could I finish a report for a project I started in my internship, I learned to take what I could get; do what I could and keep it moving. More important (and more reasonable) goals were eating, keeping hydrated, resting and keeping myself clean. Those were big enough challenges to add the "other stuff". And to be honest, at the end of the day life kept moving on.  

Fourth, don't compare your situation to others.  Its unnecessary frustration. While there are similarities which bond us together as humans (see point #2), each of us is unique.  We have different personalities/temperament, different past experiences, different resources...and the list goes on. Each of these differences creates a somewhat personalized experience for each of us. Learn from others' experiences and the experts, but recognize that while these may be helpful, it may not be a perfect fit. Find what works for you and make no apologies about pursuing that solution.

Fifth, find time for yourself away from situation. This may be more specific to my experience, but even if your challenge/experience is not a tangible thing...sometimes we get so caught up that we ruminate.  "Rumination is defined as the compulsively focused attention on the symptoms of one's distress, and on its possible causes and consequences" -thanks Wikipedia! Essentially in this 5th lesson, I'm challenging you to step away, to stop thinking/stressing over the problem. Distract yourself -not to the extent that you never face it- but to the point that it does not consume you. At this point, you can no longer think straight and honestly, we end up in unhealthy thought and behavioral patterns.  For me, I had to learn that great moms know and accept that they need help and they need breaks/time alone and when I do get those breaks to not sit and worry over what baby is doing. ;))

That's it! Well, wait...since this is Canadian thanksgiving- I guess there is one more lesson...find something to be thankful for. I know this is similar to point #1, where I urge you to give yourself a hug but the difference is, here you are now taking inventory of the good that exists...maybe its the helpful friend/family member, maybe its the fact that you are getting paid and are financially stable despite the circumstances. Maybe its the roof over your head, the food in your belly or for me, my husband, my new baby, my loveable dog and the plethora of those I call family (blood or otherwise).

Grace, peace, love and a grateful heart,
Gia

Happy Thanksgiving (Canada)

Well, it is Thanksgiving in Canada and of course yesterday the sermon in Church centered around being grateful.

Pastor Rick at WCF, gave us three hallmarks of living that we should incorporate into our daily living (based off 1 Chronicles 16:4):
1. remember the blessings
2. give thanks
3. to praise or celebrate

These seem simple enough and without question, I know incorporating them into my daily routine, particularly as a substitute for complaining will reap great benefits. However, in my quiet time this morning, I thought about how "easy" (or not) this would be to do during the "winter" experiences and seasons of our life. You know, when it seems that nothing in life is going right, we are suffering a huge loss, grieving the death of a loved one, when the cupboards are bare, when the prognosis is negative, when our loved ones are acting the fool...yea the list can go on and on.

The thing I realized about these three steps is that they are actually in order. If you do not remember the blessings of yesterday (or even the blessings of today), it will be difficult for you to give thanks....and without both of these steps, what do you celebrate?

Some days I wish I had an opportunity to engage in the Jewish culture. I'm not sure how it works now with modern Jews, but the Bible tells us that they shared their stories with their kids. I imagine them all sitting around the elder of the family and listening to how God delivered their ancestors on the many different occasions. With those kinds of rituals, it's almost impossible to forget the blessings.



Let's take a second (or two) to reflect on everything you have. Now thank God for His provision and then Praise Him!

Today I remember:

• how much my parents sacrificed to get me a good education
• how God financially provided for two parents (no college degree) and for the most part minimum-wage jobs to maintain a household of 6 children...there was never a day where there wasn't food, clothing, shelter. We even had vacations!
• how God brought people in my life, in Minnesota, in West Palm and now...in Canada. People who have shared their lives, their houses/food/resources and their love to a [at first] stranger from the Bahamas.
• how we (my roomie and I) were kept safe on a roadtrip when we ignorantly jeopardized our own safety (read story here)
• how the supplies didn't run out and every child/family was blessed

The tears are streaming as I type and I want you to know, selecting these five experiences to remember was difficult because there has been so many times, where I have no doubt, it has been God's hand in my life, protecting me, providing for me and loving me. 

I'm going to need to save this, and of course add to it with all the other events, because I want to raise my future child(ren) on these stories. I want them to hear about how God is active and living today in their parents' lives, not only the awesome Bible stories.

Today I remember. I commit to remember, to be thankful and to celebrate because God has never once forgotten me. I feel it's only good manners that I graciously return the favor.

Grace peace and love,

Gia