Shopping

I hate shopping!!  There I said it!  I know you will all stop reading my blog now that you realize I am a lesser of a women.  I do like chocolate, but shopping……nope!  Hate it!

So today when I knew I needed to take The “growing taller by the second” Inventor out for new clothes, I dreaded it.  But after seeing how obscene her shorts have become due to the big growth spurt, I knew I must head out for a shopping trip.

So after a LONG day of school, we came home, changed clothes and went shopping together.

First stop was a local main street store that sells cool stuff geared just for tween girls!  The Inventor bought these trendy little rubber band bracelets that form into animals, cars or other fun shapes when you take them off.  Why I did not think of this trendy little invention is beyond me.

But after that we got down to business.  New shoes for track season, new jean capris, several shirts and camis, shorts and 2 fun T-shirts from Five Below.  And a new pair of school shoes for me.

We enjoyed dinner together at Sonic and ok…..here it comes………um…..yea………..I had a nice time with The Inventor tonight.  I realized that this evil chore was enjoyable because of the precious time The Inventor and I spent together chatting about boys, clothes, songs, God, and even the mention of purity in relationships came up.  It was all so natural  a few tidbits to treasure in the Sonic parking lot, a bit of heavy conversation in the dressing room at Aeropostale.

It was a reminder to me to meet my tween (soon to be official teen!) where she is at, do the things she enjoys, spend that quality time talking and building a relationship….listening to her, praying with, and spending time with her.

It was good, I am far from a shop-a-holic.  But I am looking forward to shopping with my daughter again!

When I got home and was reflecting upon our night, I was reminded of this verse.  I took a few liberties with it.

^~~6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ~~  And when you are out shopping and enjoying dinner with your daughter!

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

 

Celebrate Good Times C’mon!

My dear daughter came to me the other day devastated and distraught. At first she was so upset she did not even want to tell me what was bothering her. Eventually the emotions of despair began to spill out. The Inventor is 10, almost 11, and she is just now starting to develop. It’s not quite time to rush out and buy that first bra, but the time is drawing near. The Inventor is not happy that this is happening to her body at all! She is a bit of a tomboy and sports girl so this kind of thing is not settling well with her. She even went so far as to make what I thought was a bizarre, impulsive comment about the whole experience. ” I wish I could just grow boobs in Haiti!” She blurted out towards the end of our conversation. Trying to hold back my laughter, in my calmest, kindest mom voice I asked her what she meant?

And it was at that moment I caught a glimpse of her dear heart. She went on to explain that in such a poor country like Haiti they don’t care if someone is growing boobs. They have so many other concerns…like finding food to survive, and shelter to protect them, the girls would be less concerned with what is happening to their bodies. She was right. She went on to explain how their priorities down there are quite different from ours in the U.S. So after much continued discussion about the dreadful acknowledgment that she is in the midst of puberty, we decided to have a “CSBD.” I’ll let you try to guess what it stands for, I will tell you the “S” stands for stupid.

So we are head out this Saturday for “CSBD,” we are going to Panera Bread for breakfast, and I am bringing my laptop so we can access their cool wireless service, and she can show me her “house” at Millsberry ( One of her favorite websites). Then we are planning to walk around our incredibly quaint town and do a little shopping, and then head down to our local tourist attraction, the oldest pretzel factory in the U.S. It will be a fun mother/daughter time…….and some needed bonding time. I want her to know that I am standing with her through her tough times. I have told her, I can’t fix/change her difficulties, but I can walk with her through these tough times. And I ultimately remind her that God is the potter and she is the clay, and He is forming her into the Godly women he wants her to be. And sometimes, it’s difficult, but God has a plan for her! She even brought up the Matt Redman song, “Never Let Go,” and seemed to be comforted ( somewhat) by the fact that God NEVER lets go.

I am hoping (praying) times like this lay the foundation for communication between the 2 of us during those teenage years, that are coming soon. That precious mother/daughter relationship is a treasure that should be cared for, nurtured, and protected through the years.

Never Let Go

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Chorus:
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth

Chorus:

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

 

The Infamous Cookie Party

For the past 4 years, The Inventor has invited 7-10 girls to our house for a Christmas Cookie Baking party. It has become a rather endearing tradition. Today was the big day for this event! And once again, it was a fun time.

The Inventor and I make the dough for most of the cookies the night before, so the day of the party, we assemble, we bake, and we decorate. After over 250 cookies are made, and the house is cleaned up (somewhat!). The girls moms are invited to sit and relax and enjoy a cup of coffee/tea and sample all the yummy cookie edibles. Each girl makes a menu for her mom, then takes their moms “order” and serves them the treats. It is such a nice time for the moms and their daughters, and has become a fun Christmas tradition. One mom even remarked that she doesn’t feel like it’s Christmas until The Inventor has had her cookie party! Nothing brings girls and their moms togehter like baking Christmas cookies.
So Here is the low down on the delicious cookies we baked this year;

Thumbprint Cookies ( the dough is rolled in egg whites, then rolled in nuts, then you dollop a bit of jam in the middle)

Sugar Cookies ( always fun to decorate)

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies ( my son’s favorite!)

Peanut Butter Rudolph cookies

Chocolate Chip cookies ( we actually make these from scratch and each girls brings an ingredient for the cookies)

Dulche Swirl Top bars  – (these are so good, and very fun to make the swirl top – see pic below)

Pirouette ( from Pepperidge Farm) dipped in Chocolate and rolled in sprinkles

They were all so good, and if I have a chance later this week I will post the recipes. I am thinking we may just have cookies for dinner tonight!

 

GWIT= Godly Women in Training Part 4

I have noticed by far the biggest search engine term that brings people to my blog is “Godly girls” or “teaching Godly girls.” That shows me that there are many moms out there looking for information on training their daughters to be Godly Girls!! I have written several posts on this subject and will continue to write new ones in an ongoing series.

First let me list several excellent resources for training/teaching girls in that 8-12 age range. I have listed 2 of these before but back in my emergent blogging days I didn’t know how to post a link! ( It is really so simple, how could I have missed those cute little chain link icons for so long?)
A Girl of Beauty – Building Character in Young Girls by Carol Fiddler - My daughter and I meet regularly to go through the chapter in this book. Chapters include; ambition, loyalty, a sense of purpose, competition, besetting faults etc. Each chapter is brief, kid friendly and includes a biblical basis. Our time together to go through this book is called “GWIT.” See note about meeting for “GWIT” below

The Secret Keeper – by Dannah Gresh – A great book to discuss biblical modesty with your daughter. It includes a CD with songs and commentary from Rebacca St. James.

Girl Talk – by Carolyn Mahaney & Nicole Mahaney Whitcare - I just bought this book at my brother’s church this past weekend. The author and her daughter combine for a frank, yet insightful book on raising Godly Girls! The book stresses the importance of keeping those lines of communication open and flowing. It’s an easy book to read, I am about halfway through it and have already gleaned a great deal of practical info. They also have a fun blog, where Carolyn Mahaney and her 3 grown daughters share insights, stories of growing up, and biblical guidance for mom’s and their daughters.

“GWIT” time together

The inventor and I just met together the other day for our “GWIT” time. Our time together and frank discussion always give me a glimpse of my daughter’s heart and motives. It is such a good indicator of what she is thinking about and dealing with. BTW, she is 10 and we have been meeting for 2 years. At age 8 she seemed ready to sit for a longer period of time and soak in the topics we talk about. We meet at”our place,” a cute restaurant a mere 3 minutes away, we usually meet for breakfast…….food always helps motivate kids. We discuss and read together the topics listed in the Carol Fiddler book above.

She also keeps a little journal of each topic. In her journal she will either draw a picture or comic that relates to what we talked about, or she likes to make up an acronym for each topic. Here is a recent example;

Gossip was the topic

G = garbage

O= off-limits

S= sorry

S= sin

I= it’s hurtful

P= pitiful

Let me also assure you, there are times when she doesn’t always want to go, she gives me that look like, “Mom I would rather play outside than spend ALL that time going through the dumb book with you.” But I gently remind her of the importance of taking the time to train and learn how to become a Godly women. I think she realizes I won’t back down on this and we are going, she may generate a meager protest, but she knows we are going. And guess what happens………….things go well, her attitude changes, and we accomplish a lot, and it continues to cement the communication of our mother daughter relationship.

Check out Training Godly Girls under Categories on my sidebar for more resources and ideas for training those girls to be women after God’s own heart.

I just found out about a blogging carnival that Real Life is hosting, it sounds right up my alley. It’s a mother and daughter blog carnival, what a great idea!!

 

Corrie Ten Boom – Great for G-Wit= “Godly Women In Training”

I never finished posting other girl ideas for training Godly girls, here and here are the other 2 posts on this topic.

This is one of my favorite lessons I taught the 4th-6th grade girls at our church on Wed. nights. The lesson was about Corrie Ten Boom, a christian women who survived the Nazi concentration camps during WWII. Her testimony of God’s power in the midst of these camps is powerful and can have an everlasting impact on the lives of young girls.

The night I told her story, I had the girls sit on the floor, we all snuggled in close to each other, and then I turned the lights off, and with only a simple flashlight turned on I began to tell her story. I told of how her family took Jews into their house and hid them from the Nazis, I told of her family’s strong christian faith, I told of Corrie’s desire to share Christ with the Jewish people, in the midst of deplorable conditions, and I told of the miracles she encountered while in the concentration camps.

The girls I taught were so intrigued by Corrie’s life, they sat in the dark with me for close to an hour listening and asking questions, and I can assure these are active girls so I could tell they were captivated! Corrie’s powerful testimony can speak greatly into the hearts of young girls, that is why I am listing it in my Training Godly Girls Category!

BTW, the picture above is Corrie’s kneeling in front of the secret entrance in the wall of her family home, the hole was previously in a closet, and they would hide the Jews in a small, cramped room, behind the wall! Amazing!
So here are a bunch of links if you want to share Corrie’s story with your daughter or a girls class you teach….I assure you, it will inspire them!

Great website, that tells the story of Corrie and includes “test” questions.

Official Corrie Ten Boom website

Heroes of History -site, list all the books Corrie wrote

Tons of Quotes by Corrie

Books Corrie has written, or books about her

BTW, I also have a son, so Training Godly Boys will be coming to this blog sometime in the future!!

 

G-Wit – Girl Week

Well since I posted about G-Wit and also displayed a pic of dd, I decided to make it girl week on my blog! All my posts will be about girl stuff.……maybe next week will be boy week. Lord knows boys and girls can be so different…..then again so can husbands and wives. But that is the way God designed it to be.

Anyway, here is another great girl book ( for the 8-12 yo range). It’s called The Princess Kiss, it’s an enchanting, girl book about preserving your purity. But it is presented in a very kid friendly way. We had my hubby read dd the book, and I took a picture of the two of them reading the book together, printed out the picture, hung one in her room, and the other one we wrote the date on it, and pasted it in the front of the book. The book is displayed on her dresser. They will also read it again together, but we made a big deal out of the first time reading it together. My dd enjoyed the story but, was also able to glean the other meaning of never giving away that first, special kiss to just any boy that comes along. Remember, we need to TRAIN our kids according to biblical values, and this is just another tool in the “training toolbox.”

BTW, did you notice………….I linked the book to CBD where you can buy it. It’s my first time linking something. It was really quite simple, but it’s those little things in life I get excited about it.

 

Godly Women in Training

G-WIT, that is what M and I call our special time together. It stands for Godly Women in Training, and that is what we are doing together, training her to be a Godly women. And just like anything you want to do well in life you need to be trained, and then practice what you are learning. So that is what we do, we work together to train her to be a Godly women someday and learn how to be a Godly girl along the way.

My dd is 9, almost the big 10, and for the last 2 years now we have been getting together about once a month to go out for breakfast and read, and discuss a book by another mom, Carol Fiddler called, “A Girl of Beauty” Building Character in Young Girls. It’s one of the FEW books I have found for girls in the 8-12 age range. This book focuses on issues like truthfulness, careful words, service, disappointments, ideals etc. Each topic is only about 3-4 pages and is based on scripture, and Godly truths. I like the book, and have found it to be provocative, and a foundation for good discussion between my daughter and I. I like how it’s short and to the point and is able to keep her interest. After this book I plan to use a book by Dannah Gresh, called, “The Secret Keeper.” I like this book also, but don’t think M is quite ready for some of the issues she discusses yet, but I am sure she will before I know it.

I will be sharing several other neat lessons on training girls to be Godly women in the next several weeks….months ahead etc. I taught a wonderful group of 4th-6th grade girls on Wed. night through the Girls Alive program this year, so I will share some of those lessons, along with a program a friend and I wrote for the girls in our 6th grade Sunday School class. We would meet with the girls 6-7 times a year and present a “girl only lesson” on many of the attributes of the ever popular Proverbs 31 women. We assigned each characteristic we talked about a color, and the girls made a necklace, with beads corresponding to the color we assigned each characteristic. This way when they wear their necklaces, they are reminded of the characteristics we have discussed with them. The necklaces turned out to look pretty hip, so I think the girls will be wearing them.

As a public  school elementary school teacher I see daily how young girls are so easily ensnared, and engrossed by this world, and are engaging in the things that are far from the ideals and values of the bible. If I want my dd to follow hard after the Lord I need to do all I can to train her for “battle.”

There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12

Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right. Proverbs 20:11

TRAIN a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

As a rookie blogger note – I need to learn how to link to a website that might have that Carol Fiddler or Dannah Gresh book…….I will have to check into that….bear with me, I am still learning. But I must admit, I am enjoying being a bloggin moma!

My new saying is “bloggin is good for my old noggin!!”