Gorgeous on the inside...

Big breath in.  The last month has been good, but CRAZY!  Seriously, let's list just a few of the events:

• Wrapped up my photography career into a neat little box and stored it away until nursing school is over.
• Bradyn got braces.
• Morgan ROCKED out the ACT.
• Bradyn got contacts.
• Anna potty trained herself in one day...still only one accident.
• I started a diet (which has entailed an hour a day commitment to work out - 8 pounds so far.)
• Interviewed with The University of Tennessee Health Science Center for their Masters of Science in Nursing degree.
• Morgan totalled her car - all over our neighborhood clubhouse lawn and landscape (poor Moey.)
• Went to Maui with three of my favorite people in the world.
• Survived a tsunami.  (Okay, okay.   A little melodramatic.  We slept in our rental car on a hill in Kapalua while my Facebook page exploded by wonderful people who care about me.)
• Was accepted to UTHSC nursing school!  
• Am I leaving anything out?  (Oh, wait.  That's not a list item.)

Am I leaving anything out?  My life is GREAT.  Seriously.  I told a lady at church today, that if faced with a wishing well, penny in hand, I would be scrambling for something to wish for.  Now, this kind of life-season doesn't come along too often.  You know, when everything is going smoothly and everyone you are responsible for is seemingly happy and healthy.  So, please know I'm aware of my amazing God's favor on me right now.  Why on earth He is choosing to bless me so, right now? I don't know.  But, I certainly ain't gonna question it!

All that being said, I still own a toddler.  And, two teenagers.  The teenagers are, for the most part right now, a joy.  It's that rascal Peanut.  We are working on all sorts of godly behavior we want her to learn to demonstrate in her daily life.  You know.  Talking to others respectfully, please and thank you's, contrition, generosity, and "cetra."

I'm not gonna lie.  I think all three of my girls are the most beautiful children on the planet.  As most of you all probably feel about your own.  We all, of course, get the nice complements about how beautiful they are constantly.  To which they are SUPPOSED to reply, "Thank you."  Sometimes, it comes out more like, "uh, huh."  SO, we're working on what it means to be "pretty in our hearts."  I'm pulling out the scriptures left and right:

     "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7

    "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." - Proverbs 31:30

Post-mortem time-out meetings go something like this:

     "Okay, Anna.  The timer went off.  What do you need to say?"

     "I'n sawy, mommy."

     "What are you sorry for?"

     "I'n sawy I not share."

     "That's good, Peanut.  You are my beautiful little girl.  But, Jesus wants us to beautiful in our hearts, too.  And, when we share and are nice to our friends, our insides are beautiful, too!  Okay?"

     "Otay, mommy.  I wuv you."

     "I love you, too, little Peanut."

Now, I know, this sounds all happy and sweet and crap, but I must tell you, this is like, a hundred times per day.  So, imagine the tantrums and attitude and hitting and grabbing of toys out of friends' hands all the time.....as you think of this sweet moment.  It takes a lot out of a 40-something mom!  And, seriously, sometimes I wonder if we're going through this stage so that God can remind ME that I need to beautiful on the inside as well.  Ah, good ol' learning through repetition.  

     "Dear God, Please forgive me for focusing on outward appearances and help me be beautiful on the inside.  Amen."