That's not my job! I don't work here.

I love all of the wonderful opportunities I get to practice what I preach. Today after camp, we went to the library. And returned all of our materials with the exception of 1 book on cd (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). I asked the checkout girl how much we owed in fines and she scanned the card " $4.95" What a relief!

Then about 20 or so minutes we went to check out and she asked me did you return any of your items today? (Forgive the lack of punctuation I'm just trying to get the story out) SO I thought to myself, "didn't she just see me, the cute lady with 4 well behaved kids 20 minutes ago?" So I said yes all but, one. she then said, "Oh, because um, since you returned your items in the book drop, you are at your limit, I can't check out the rest of these items for you", I had another thought...."What do you mean since I returned my items in the book drop? was I suppose to return them somewhere else? Was I suppose to place them in her hands?" I then looked at her and said , Can somebody go and scan the books in then?' "I'll go check" she said.. The next thought that popped into my head was , "wow some people don't want to do their job, look at the expression on her face because I asked her to have someone go scan in the books that I returned, I never have this problem at my local branch- and I felt like letting her know"... At this point Cookie said, "what 's going on mommy?" I noticed at the corner of my eye that a woman was watching me I guess waiting to hear my answer. SO I turned to Cookie and said, She said we are over our limit , because the books we returned weren't scanned in, that's not my job, I cant go scan them in-I don't work here". SO she came back and didn't say a word and started scanning the rest of our items to be checked out. Probably because whoever was in the back told her to get back to her post and check out our books and put in the override code so that I can get the measly 10 extra books out. "Next time count your items before checking out, you have 40 out now and your only suppose to have 30". I looked at her and as pleasantly as I could said, "Okay". I then gathered my crew and my cart of items and left. Now looking back I can see how this event could have been very different if I said everything that came to my mind out loud. In this life I know one thing that is so true.. No, maybe two things, God doesn't lie and as the book of James puts it, the tongue is unruly, no man can tame it and it can set ablaze a forest. With it people bless God and curse men. My flesh so desired to give her a tongue lashing and I could have said, "Was I suppose to put the books in your hands and not the book drop, What do you mean the books aren't scanned in, Scan them in and check out the rest! Do I look like I work here? I never have this problem at my library". But instead, I calmly asked if they could be scanned in, and waited patiently even though my well behaved boys were twisting a pole and giving Dolly a copy of one of the books on display as she was minding her business in the stroller. For anyone who thinks keeping your mouth shut at times means your a wimp and your not sticking up for yourself, look at Jesus example and see how many times he kept his mouth shut. Sometimes keeping your mouth shut simply means not having to say your sorry. And if mine was wide open today I would have had to repented and I also would have clearly communicated to my 4 disciples that the only way to get your way in life is to be brazen, ugly, condescending, and sarcastic. What life lesson did they learn today?

Happy Birthday to you... Happy Mother's Day to Me.

ROCCO TURNED 5 JUNE 16TH!

I can't believe my Rocco Roo is now 5. He wanted a family party this year so. In the morning he played golf with Big D while Cookie started her first day of Drama Camp. and Noahkeem, Dolly and I went to the Dollar Store to get stuff for the pinata and came home and baked the Strawberry Cake he picked out that he coincidentally did not eat LOL. So after golf and picking Cookie up around 1, we went out to eat, then went to the mall to buy him a lil kinz (baby webkinz). Then he wanted to come home and have computer time to do his webkinz.. so we did. While that was going on I was putting the strawberry mist icing-that he picked out on his strawberry cake. By this time it was just getting later and later and golf was on so he was distracted by his favorite "Tiger Woods". So when 4 pm rolled around I told everybody we were doing cake because Cookie had Karate at 5. And of course Rocco had to watch Tiger's "one last shot" . And then wanted to do the Pinata next. So we went outside, the Pinata malfunctioned and the Rocco just ended up beating it with a stick and successfully decapitated him. - It was a traditional donkey pinata and yes, I will tape the head back on and use it for Noahkeem-if he wants to. After the pinata we sang happy birthday and had cake but, of course being SuperMom, I forgot the ice cream which still remains untouched in the freezer. I just don't care for ice cream like I used to. So after I inhaled my cake and threw out the pieces that weren't eaten we all headed to the Y for Karate (Cookie is the only one who takes it). I dropped Dolly off in childcare , and the boys and Big D headed to the gym to shoot some hoops. I usually get coffee and chill out but, since it was Rocco's birthday I played around a little in the gym. Then we went to the play ground then back to the gym and soon karate was over. After Karate we ended up at Chuck E. Cheese. (I haven't been there in 2 years). and played till 8:30 or so. The crowd was really dying down so I figured they must be closing. As I walked outside, I noticed that their sign said that they close at 10pm! We could have played some more until they closed but, Cookie had camp and it had been a loooooooooooong day. I I had so much fun and Rocco said he did too. I was so happy and proud to be his mom and that he was now 5.

I of course ran around so much to even treat myself to a special bouquet of flowers and wish myself a happy mothers day for all of the labor, and literal blood sweat and tears I poured into that little life. As a bit of exhortation, Honor your mothers on your birthday(every year), with flowers or something memorable, it was her special day too.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a long journey. God has been dealing with my heart about unforgiveness. You would be surprised (or maybe not) how many in the body of Christ who harbor unforgiveness in their hearts. Quite often, the offenses have been forgotten about but, yet we are reaping the fruits of these seeds sown. Out of desperation I cried out to God for Answers and the keys to unlock heart issues in my life. I got so tired of seeing or hearing advertisements for the secrets to spiritual success and spiritual not to mention financial prosperity. So many "resources" came with a price tag. "God your Word is Free! I don't want to have to pay to hear what you have to tell me in your Word!". So I climbed on to the Spiritual Operating Table so that I God may do Open heart surgery. And since then, He has been revealing to me the concept of mercy over judgement and to even cry out for mercy for those that have offended me. I have asked him to specifically call to my remembrance instances where I have judged/cursed others because they injured me by some offense. Hebrews 12:15 "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many". Could that verse really be talking to Christians? Could it be we have hidden unforgiveness against those that have impacted our lives so greatly like teachers, doctors, former employers, family, friends, spiritual leaders, roommates, police officers, strangers. What patterns are we repeating because we have judged someone and have not forgiven them? God has showed me faces and places of unforgiveness even against those that didn't quite mean what they said. How many times have we put up walls and defenses because we misunderstood someones actions? Was Jesus serious when he said that we must forgive 70 X's 7 ? When the Lord's pray says "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgiven our debtors" could that really mean: "Lord with the same measure of mercy I have given, give me that same measure"? "In the same way I have forgiven, forgive me"? Would I really be able to walk in the fullness of God's love if I don't truly forgive my brothers and sisters in Christ? How can I go around touching lives from a heart that is clogged.
The good news is is that God is slow to anger and full of mercy and he is not mad at us but, mad about us. We don't have to strive, we don't have to follow rules and regulations to get God's approval. We just need to give our hearts to Him. Including those places that have been closed off and sealed with a sign that reads "DO NOT ENTER".

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in me".Psalm 51:10

Thank you Lord for your mercy.