Good Advice

I found this on Pinterest and wanted to pass it along.

Abortion: For Me It's Personal

Hi~Lori here again. This is my last guest post for Angie.  She will be home Wednesday and plans to start blogging again as soon as she unpacks, takes out the garbage, and cleans the kitty litter box. I've enjoyed visiting with you and hope you'll come see me over at Life, Love, and Laughter in a Large Family.   

I am a substitute teacher at our local middle school and high school. While subbing the other day, after we'd finished the lesson, one of the classes talked about the different speech topics they'd had that year.  The students debated many issues: Should college athletes get paid? Are casinos good for states? Is the death penalty a good thing. The kids debated each issue from their personal point of view and experiences. I contributed here and there, but mainly listened. You can learn a lot in a high school classroom.

The kids were passionate about the topics and loud~because apparently the louder you talk...the more right you are. The kids exhausted the topics they had and cast around for a new topic to discuss. They landed on abortion. The usual arguments came up about what if the woman is a rape victim or her life is in danger. They talked around and around, with sadly the general consensus being that abortion should remain legal.

On this issue, I put in my two cents; not overtly, but as they made statements...I countered~What about women who get pregnant from being raped? While this scenario is sad and tragic, the number of women who get pregnant from rape are small and the percentage of abortions for this reason is very small. What about when a woman's health is in danger? Again, this is only a small percentage of the number of abortions performed each year.

As I talked, the kids recognized that this might be important to me. They commented that I had done a little research and that opened the door for me to share why this topic is personal to me.

In 1969, a young woman attended college. She was only 20 years old when she became pregnant. She wasn't married and the boy~man responsible for her condition was also a college student whom she didn't love and didn't want to marry. She kept her pregnancy a secret for 8 months before telling her family over Thanksgiving break. The young woman gave her baby up for adoption in December of 1969...and I am very grateful...since I am that baby.

Just four short years later, she would have had another option: one she wouldn't have had to share with her boyfriend or her family and no one would have been the wiser. No one would have known that a baby girl had been there and then was not. My parents, the ones who raised me, would not have been able to adopt a baby so quickly after trying for seven years to have children.

For me, the issue of abortion is personal.

For my parents, the issue is personal.

For my birth mother, the issue is personal.

For my kids, the issue is personal.

I also personally know several women who have had an abortion. For them, the abortion is issue is personal~there is much that is not stated about the consequences of abortion...the long lasting emotional trauma along with physical side effects an abortion can cause.

After I told my story, the classroom was silent. The students who moments before had boisterously stated their opinions on everything were reluctant to say anything. It is very easy to talk philosophically about an issue, but when it gets personal...when someone you know and love has been personally affected by an issue you choose your words more deliberately...more carefully.

I am personally thankful that when I was the baby in an unwanted pregnancy abortion was NOT legalized. I am also thankful that I had an opportunity to share my story with the young people in my children's class so that the next time they talk about issues they realize that people are directly affected.

Thanking God daily that I was allowed to live, love, and laugh,

God Speaks to Me

Hi~So glad to be over here at Messy Cars and Muddy Shoes. Angie and I have been friends for 8 years and have lots in common: lots of kids, husbands that are pastors, a passion for God, scrapbooking, writing, reading, and photography.

This is my last Think Quotes It's Friday post as guest blogger for Angie. Again I used a photo of the Pacific ocean as I cannot think of the west coast without thinking of Angie...one of the few people I know who have grown up there. If you would like to link up with Think Quotes Its Friday just find a photo, add a quote, and link your blog to mine @ TQIF. Hope to see you there.

Tuning my ears to hear His voice wherever He chooses to reveal Himself as I live, love, and laugh,

One Problem; Three Moms; Three Solutions

Hi~So glad to still be here at Messy Cars and Muddy Shoes guest blogging for Angie while she's in Oregon visiting her parents. Please visit me sometime at Life, Love, and Laughter in a Large Family so I can get to know you as well.

I found this blog post in my files from 2009. I wanted to include this during my guest blogging stint since Angie is a part of this post. Thanks again, Angie, for giving me this opportunity!

At a recent picnic, I talked with a group of moms. We asked our friend who'd adopted a little girl from Ethiopia four months ago how things were going. She and her husband already had five children, and we asked how their own youngest son was handling not being the baby any more?

She replied that the transition had been a bit difficult as he had been the baby for six years before his 2-year-old sister came along. One thing that would change was the way their family divvied up leftovers. If only one hot dog remained, the youngest would get it. That was their family policy. Why? Because he was the littlest.

I found this concept interesting. In our family, if only one hot dog remains, the oldest gets first dibs. I believe those with the most responsibility get the most privileges...one of those being first choice of leftovers. I also know that the older kids will one day be out of the house and the baby will have her choice of everything at some point:)

Angie had yet another solution. If there is one thing left, she divides it among all those who want it. She divides the hot dog into six or seven pieces ...bites ...bits for all those who want a share. In this way, everyone gets a taste of the last hot dog.

All three moms have large families and all three of us parent quite differently as evidenced from something as simple as handing out leftovers. Variety is truly the spice of life. I often think my way is best, but then I hear how others deal with a situation and think to myself, "That works, too."

Which led me to think of a fourth way to take care of the one remaining hot dog...Just eat it myself.

I would love to hear your family's solution to the last remaining hot dog. Leave me a comment and tell me how things work in your family.

Just another reason to live, love, and laugh,

How To Set Up a Google Account

Hi~I'm Lori, mother of nine, pastor's wife, and longtime friend of Angie. She asked me to guest blog while she's on vacation. I hope you enjoy the posts and I would love to see you over at Life, Love, and Laughter in a Large Family so I can get to know you as well.



I posted this to help my non-blogging friends understand how to open up a google account so they could leave a comment. Hope you find it helpful as well.

Have you ever wondered why in the world you couldn't leave a comment at the bottom of a blog?


You clicked on the comment tab, inserted your words of encouragement and delight, and pressed the enter button and then waited.


Finally after long seconds of contemplation, the computer told you that you must have an account to leave comments.


In frustration, You:
a) vented on facebook to all of your friends or
b) signed off your computer and walked away or 
c) shook your head wondering what the heck that meant and went back to playing Farmtown.


Well, I thought I'd just give you a little FYI: simply click on Google Account , set one up and voila, you can leave comments on my blog. Easy Peasy.


I love to get comments as do other bloggers...comments are the butter to my bread, the cream cheese to my bagel, the chocolate chips on my chocolate chip/peanut butter sandwich. They are delightful.


Please leave them: whether they are encouraging or correcting or lamenting or assenting or gloomy or glowing. I love to know you are reading.

Just another reason to live, love, and Laugh!

Solitude

I'm so thankful that Lori has filled in for me while I'm on vacation. I hope you enjoy her posts  and will visit her over at Life, Love, and Laughter in a Large Family for a peek into her world.

(Lori here) - Angie has graciously allowed me to guest blog this Friday as well, so I am linking her up with Think Quotes It's Friday once again. I would love to see you over there. Just find a great photo, add one of your favorite quotes and link up @ Think Quotes It's Friday.

When I was young, I found solitude a prison...now that I am a mother of 9, I find it a pleasure.

Enjoying the rare moments of solitude as I live, love, and laugh,

Lessons Learned in the Laundry Room

Hi~Lori Poppinga here, guest blogging for Angie as she travels the continental United States. So glad to be over here at Messy Cars and Muddy Shoes. Angie and I have been friends for 8 years. We have much in common: lots of kids, husbands that are pastors, a passion for God, scrapbooking, writing, reading, and photography. I am excited to be a guest blogger for Angie and share some of my favorite posts with you, her followers. I hope you enjoy them and I would love to see you over at Life, Love, and Laughter in a Large Family so I can get to know you as well.

We recently bought a new washer and dryer. I had only done a load or two before I realized the bell signaling a completed load of laundry sounded pleasant. A gentle ding dong … ding dong … ding dong … one note slightly higher than the other, loud enough to not be ignored but pleasant, almost compelling. Come to … the dryer … fold clothes … load more. I actually didn’t mind progressing from one phase of laundry to another.

My old dryer’s alarm sounded harsh and abrasive. A loud continuous “blaaaat” screamed to me, “GET IN HERE NOW AND DO LAUNDRY.” Not inviting in the least.

After comparing my old dryer signal with the new, I wondered what type of signal I send my children when chores need to be done.

Was I sweet and melodious, enticing them to complete chores in a timely fashion or harsh and abrasive, demanding action now? I didn’t like the answer. I start out sweet and melodious only to digress into harsh and abrasive when chores aren’t accomplished quickly.

I also noticed the children wait for the harsh tone before responding. They knew I wasn’t really serious until I changed my approach, but by that time neither one of us was happy about chores: with the children mumbling about how I always yelled and with me grumbling about asking them three times to complete their tasks.

We seemed to be at an impasse.

I looked to my laundry room for answers and found four things I could implement:


Lesson #1: The persistent attention grabbing tone only beckoned to me if I was within hearing distance. This might seem obvious, but I have had children tell me they did not hear my directions when standing three feet from me. Were they lying? Probably not. They were simply focused on something else at the time. I needed to get their attention and then, let them know what needed to be done.

Lesson #2: The pleasant tone of the dryer bell encouraged me to do laundry. I need to keep my tone pleasant so my children will associate a pleasant attitude with doing chores. Like it or not, my children exhibit the same attitude towards chores as I do.

Lesson #3: The dryer didn’t change tones if I didn’t get the clothes folded immediately. I would simply receive another ringing reminder in ten minutes. My dryer gave me more grace than I gave my children. I need to step back and give them time to obey after making sure they heard my instructions.

Lesson #4: If I didn’t get the clothes when the dryer dinged, consequences occurred. My clothes would get wrinkled if left in the dryer, stinky if left in the washer and not done at all if I didn’t move them from the laundry basket to the machine. Likewise, my children need to experience real consequences when they do not complete their chores.

Now every time my dryer beckons me to change another load with the melodious ding dong, I remember the laundry room lessons, “get my children’s attention, speak sweetly, give them time to complete the task, and follow through with consequences when the work does not get done.” Simple? Yes. Easy? no!

Lessons Learned while Living, Loving, and Laughing,

Can You Beat This?

I'm still on vacation, currently in Colorado Springs. I had fun comparing gas prices on the way here. Gas cost $3.69 a gallon when we left Ashland. Northwest Iowa's gas was .50 cheaper.

Somewhere south of Omaha we saw $3.14. Too bad we already had a full gas tank. Now here in Colorado, we're back up to $3.69.

What's it like where you're at?

Truth

Hi~So glad to be over here at Messy Cars and Muddy Shoes. Angie and I have been friends for 8 years or so. We have a lot in common: lots of kids, husbands that are pastors, a passion for God, scrapbooking, writing, reading, and photography. I am so excited to have an opportunity to be a guest blogger for Angie and share some of my favorite posts with you, her followers. I hope you enjoy them and I loved to see you over at Life, Love, and Laughter in a Large Family so I can get to know you as well.


On Friday's I host a blog Hop entitled Think Quotes It's Friday. You just grab a favorite photo, add a favorite quote and link up @ Think Quotes It's Friday. Can't wait to see you over there. And thank you, Angie, for being a faithful TQIF linker!

I chose this photo for Angie's blog because she's from Oregon and might have left footprints on the same sand I walked across with my children.

Discovering truths daily as I live, love, and laugh,

If You Give a Mom a Minute to Write a Blog Post

I am happy to be on vacation. We're currently visiting Keith's family in Iowa, then on to Kansas City, and eventually Colorado.

So you don't have to look at my last post for another two weeks, I asked my friend Lori from Life, Love, and Laughter in a Large Family to be a guest blogger this week.

Hi~So glad to be over here at Messy Cars and Muddy Shoes. Angie and I have been friends for 8 years or so. We have a lot in common: lots of kids, husbands that are pastors, a passion for God, scrapbooking, writing, reading, and photography. I am so excited to have an opportunity to be a guest blogger for Angie and share some of my favorite posts with you, her followers. I hope you enjoy them and I loved to see you over at Life, Love, and Laughter in a Large Family so I can get to know you as well.

Whenever I sit down to write, I want to focus on writing...just block out the rest of the world and pound out the words to another post. That is what I want to do. What usually happens resembles If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and looks something like this:


If you give a mom a minute to write a blog post, she will start to type away and as she's writing she will realize she posted a similar blog a while back.

She searches her past posts to find the one she's thinking of so she can link to it in her new post.

While looking through her old posts, she will realize she has too many tags and will start "cleaning" them up.

As she's "cleaning" up her blog posts, the buzzer will sound on her washer reminding her to move the clothes to the dryer.

Upon loading the clothes into the dryer, she recalls an article she had posted on the MOPs website about Lessons Learned in the Laundry Room.

She will go back to her computer and search through her blogs to find the article only to find that she never actually posted the article on one of her blogs.

So she will proceed to add the article to her blog.

She will then have to search for an appropriate photo.

First she will look through her old photos to see if she just happened to snap one of herself doing laundry with her little darlings.

Wherein, she will ponder if she can take a photo quick that will do the job or if she should just google "photos of moms and children doing laundry" and hope to find one that will work.

After finishing her "new" blog post, she will return to the original "new" post to finally link to the post she thought she'd blogged about two years ago.

After adding the link, she will try to pick up her train of thought.

As she starts typing once again, she realizes that the only sound she hears is the tapping of her fingers on the keys.

She realizes she likes that sound and wonders why she doesn't hear it more often.

Taking a quick look around her, she realizes the reason she can hear the typing is because she can no longer hear the children.

She immediately leaves the keyboard to search for the silent children...

The many reasons to Live, Love, and Laugh while blogging.