A Habit A Month: July

I kind of dropped the ball on developing a habit this month. Well, I did have a few ideas at the beginning of July – I wanted to start reading to the kids everyday or work on our evening routine. But I didn’t get to blog about it, and without accountability, neither of the habits took hold.

So, before I toss the month away as a complete failure, I thought I’d recollect all the habits I’ve been working on from January this year; and share my progress 7 months down the lane.

January: Positive speech

I’d like to think I’ve mastered the art of being positive, but the truth is that sometimes negativity does rear it’s ugly head. However, counting my blessings helps me put a positive spin on things that could otherwise pull me down.

February: Self Control

This was basically to challenge my control over the words that came out of my mouth, the time I spent online and the food I ate. My words – not too bad, but I could definitely exercise more control over my words; especially when I’m emotional. I’ve finally have a hold on the time I spend online, so that’s good. And food, well I do have some weak moments; but I’m working on it.

March: Health

I’m surprisingly happy with my progress in this department. I drink lots of water, exercise 3-5 times a week and I’ve limited my sugar intake considerably.

April: Being gentle with the kids

I’m not too satisfied with my efforts at being gentle with the kids. I do tend to get annoyed and yell at times. This is something I still need to work on. Maybe going over my notes of  “The 5 Love Languages of Children” and consciously implementing them might help. Oh and prayer; lots of prayer – that definitely helps!

May: Memorizing scripture

Still going strong. I pick out a few verses at the beginning of the month, and memorize them by the end of the month. It has been such a blessing to learn God’s Word by heart.

June: Morning routine

The kids and I are implementing our morning routine pretty well – in fact, we’d be lost without it. Some days, it’s not exactly how I scheduled it; but the basic framework still works for us.

I’ve decided to go ahead and start with August’s habit a bit early. In August, I will be working on an evening routine for me and the kids. I hope to post my progress by the end of the month.

To Read: Welcome to “Life” {An extremely motivating post on starting over after giving up, even if it’s for the hundredth time. If you’re sick of starting over (over and over again), this post is a must read!}

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Counting My Blessings: 343 to 363

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34)

3 Gifts of Sand

343. Sand crunching under my running shoes.
344. Sons drawing in the sand with their shoes, as we wait for the bus.
345. Fine sand on my husband’s brand new football studs.

3 Gifts of Endings

346. The end of my 13 minute morning run.
347. Finishing up the book of John in the Bible.
348. Struggling to find the right ending for a blog post.

3 Gifts Fresh

349. A crisp morning breeze.
350. The sons after a rare afternoon nap.
351. The trees after a light rain.

A Gift on Vacation, at Home, in Relaxation

352. Catching up on sleep.
353. Routine.
354. Much needed rest.

3 Gifts of Beginnings

355. The beginning of a lovely afternoon with grandparents/great grandparents.
356. First bite of a chocolate truffle cake.
357. Every morning – a new beginning.

3 Gifts Together

358. Worshiping the Lord together as family.
359. Resting together after church service.
360. The sons playing with their new toy cars.

3 Gifts Heard

361. The sound of our water purifier.
362. Jon telling Jason, “I like Dada and Mama”. {Precious}
363. Chatter among the sons, during their afternoon rest time.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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Five Minute Friday: Beyond

Five Minute Friday

Beyond

When I saw the writing prompt “beyond”, this old song by Jim Reeves started playing in my head…

Across the bridge, there’s no more sorrow,
Across the bridge, there’s no more pain;
The sun will shine across the river,
And you’ll never be unhappy again.

All the mindless violence that has been happening around us the past few weeks {the incident in Assam and the shooting in Colorado, just to name a couple}, has left me wondering… Will there ever be a time when such mindless acts cease to be committed? From gory slaughters because of family feuds in south India, to terrorist acts in dozens of countries, our world has ceased to be a place of peace.

What about those of us who believe in Christ? Don’t we too deal with difficulties in our daily lives? We endure pain and hardship and get through it; we grow closer to God and enter a place of rest – only to start climbing the next mountain, or face the next battle. It reminds me of Jesus’ words…

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Well, He basically says that in this world we WILL have trouble. Where then, lies our hope? In Christ alone! When we believe that Jesus, the Son of God, gave His own life to pay for our sins, we receive full pardon; when we choose to follow His ways, rather than ours; we have a hope beyond this world.

The hope that one day we will meet Him face to face in heaven. The hope that one day, there will be no more sorrow, no more pain, no more violence and no more sin. There is a beautiful world God has prepared for us, just beyond this life we’re living.

And that gives us added responsibility. Can we gather as many people as we can, to meet with us on the other side? Do we choose to share our own experience of life in Christ to the millions around us who are lost and hurting? Will we share with them the hope that we’ve found in Christ?

What about our own lives? Do we choose to live in Him now, so we can be with Him in our life beyond?

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5 Loaves, 2 Fish and 1 Mother

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9)

If you’ve read any of the first 4 books of the New Testament, you would’ve come across the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Yes, it is the account of how Jesus multiplied 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish to feed thousands. Last Sunday, a guest preacher at our church illustrated the chain of giving in this miracle. A mother gave the bread and fish to her son, the son gave it to the disciples, the disciples gave it to Jesus…

Although his emphasis was on the giving part of this miracle; what struck me most, was how it began. This was something I hadn’t thought of before. Although it’s not mentioned in the Bible, a mother probably gave the bread and fish to her son. Did you get that? A mother, packed her son 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish for his lunch.

Was that where the the miracle began? A seemingly small gesture of a mother packing her son lunch?

Kneading

I wonder what was running through this mother’s head that morning…

Was she in a frenzy trying to get all the household work done, while taking care of her kids?

Was she worn out, wondering how on earth she could possibly get everything on her to-do list done that day?

Was she questioning the worthiness of her mundane tasks at home?

And when her son asked her for a picnic lunch, maybe she was a bit annoyed…

Oh great! just what I need…

My son’s running off to hear some man, and leaving me to tackle all the chores alone…

Do I really need the additional task of fixing him a picnic lunch?

Why can’t he come back home for lunch? Or grab something on the way?

And yet, we know that the son had his lunch with him when he went to listen to Jesus. The mother had packed a small meal for him. And you probably know the rest of that story. {If you have no clue about the story, you can read all about it here.}

I wonder what the mother’s reaction was, when the son explained the miracle to her when he got back home. I can imagine her filled with awe, humbled that Jesus would choose to use her meager offering to perform a mind-blowing miracle.

If you, like me wonder at times if the mundane tasks you do at home really matter… Take heart, my friend. The simple things you do for your family, are no different from the 5 loaves and 2 fish that another mother, in another era, packed for her son. And that was where the miracle began.

That mother received almost nothing in return, no glory, no acknowledgement; save the knowledge that God had used her little offering to bless thousands. Can we be content, knowing that the little things we do in our home – those pesky, mundane chores that drive us crazy; are indeed an offering to God? Yes, they are! Now off to fold a pile of laundry! 😉

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)

Photo Credit: Phil Roeder

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Counting My Blessings: 310 to 342

Even in my darkest hour,
Through the sorrow and the pain,
I will sing; I will praise…

~ I will Sing (Don Moen)

3 Gifts Curled

310. The sons curled up in bed.
311. My hair.
312. Pencil shavings.

3 Gifts Yellow

313. A yellow leaf.
314. Turmeric powder.
315. Yellow flowers along the highway.

3 Gifts of Stone

316. Stones fitted at our church entrance.
317. The stone that was rolled away.
318. Jesus, my Cornerstone.

3 Gifts Hanging Down

319. A ceiling fan.
320. Leafy branches.
321. Chandeliers in a display window.

3 Gifts Learned

322. Diligence from the ant.
323. Hindi Rhymes with my sons.
324. The importance of trusting in God, while I’m waiting.

3 Gifts Musical

325. A new praise song the sons taught us.
326. My husband playing the guitar during family prayer.
327. Singing “He’s still working on me” and the sons echoing “On Me!”.

3 Gifts Baked

328. Bread.
329. Cookies.
330. A pineapple upside down cake, baked by my husband’s colleague.

A Gift in Light, Dark, Shadow

331. Sons practicing writing, in the radiance of a tube light.
332. Travelling in the dark to a friend’s new home.
333. Shadows on the highway, cast by the clouds floating above.

3 Gifts of Story

334. Catching up with a friend after 5 years.
335. A match-making story unfolding before our eyes.
336. The sons giving us driving directions to their school.

3 Gifts Understated

337. Our home.
338. God’s love, words could never be enough to explain it.
339. The effect of change.

A Gift High, Low, Far Away

340. Cloudy skies.
341. Rain water puddles.
342. A dream destination.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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Five Minute Friday: Enough

Five Minute Friday

Enough

“I’ve had enough!”, I whisper, as tears stream down my face. I’ve had enough of boy fights, temper tantrums, dirty diapers, messy floors, soiled clothes, scribbled walls and a very loud, rickety washing machine. That my friends, was my cry – just a few short years ago.

I’ve found over the years, that the best place to cry is at His feet. When life overwhelms me and I’m a blubbery mess of tears; where else can I release myself, but in His open arms. And when I do, my Father doesn’t stay silent. He whispers back. While the tears fall, I am overwhelmed by His grace as He gently reminds me. “Sheena, I am more than enough for you“.

I pause uncertain, and search my heart.

Boy fights… I recognize what a blessing my boys truly are, in spite of their unruliness.

Temper tantrums… Are the boys’ tantrums any different from mine, when I insist on having my own way?

Dirty diapers… What about the fact that we could afford diapers at all?

Messy floors… A sign of life with three little boys at home.

Soiled clothes… Proof that our independent sons think they are old enough to get by without help.

Scribbled walls… Can be cleaned with a little elbow grease.

And the rickety washing machine… Still does its job pretty well!

And I understand… all it took was a change of perspective. At His feet, He makes it clear to me. He reminds me that in Him, I have everything I need; for He is more than enough for me.

And I whisper back, no longer in tears… “Lord, I thank you for Your grace – You are more than enough for me.”

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Boy Mom Blog Hop 2012

Today I am participating in a blog hop hosted by The MOB Society. {MOB stands for Mother Of Boys, by the way} Several boy mom bloggers will be writing about their boys and linking up at The MOB Society Boy Mom Blog Hop.

If you are a new here, “Welcome to An Imperfect Life”! And if you’re a regular reader, “Thank you so much for stopping by today”! An Imperfect Life… made perfect by Grace is a tapestry of life stories and inspiration from the Bible that I hope will encourage you in your daily life. The focus of this blog is to glorify God, encourage readers and motivate myself. Check out this post to read more about the purpose of my blog.

I am Sheena, mother of 4 year old male triplets – Jason, Jon and Judah.

My boys then:

And now:

My sons are living miracles. They are proof that God gave them life and sustained their lives, even when they stopped breathing. Although they are triplets and they look alike, they each have their own unique personality that sets them apart from their brothers.

When they aren’t running, jumping, climbing or fighting, they enjoy singing, playing with toy cars and building more cars with their Lego blocks. As adorable as they are, I must admit it is quite a challenge to raise 3 boys of the same age. I don’t think I would be able to survive even a single day without God’s grace and strength. And an honorable mention to my amazing husband, who is ever ready to do anything for his family.

If you find my posts helpful, feel free to connect with me on Facebook or sign up to to receive new blog posts by email.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope and pray this blog is a blessing to you. Have a great day and God bless you!

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Waiting on God

waiting, waiting, waiting

Photo Credit: Gilles Chiroleu

Waiting isn’t a lot of fun, is it?! It gets on my nerves, when I have to wait for any extended period of time. And I don’t spare my family, either. I get pretty worked up when my boys are dilly-dallying, taking their own sweet time, with something that I need to be done immediately.

For all my distaste of waiting, I have been doing just that. I’ve been waiting on God to show me where I need to go next, what I need to do with my life. After some of my own dreams crashed and burned, I decided to wait for God’s dream for my life. I assumed that God would want to change my life’s direction as my sons grow older.

Well, it’s been a whole month since my sons joined kindergarten, which means I have a solid chunk of 4 free hours in the mornings. Maybe, not actually free – I’ve set up an effective routine to make the best use of that time. And yet I wanted to do something productive, maybe even take up a part-time job or a voluntary position somewhere.

My only hesitation was that I wasn’t sure what God had in mind for me. So, I started praying, of course. Praying that God would show me what I needed to do in my life. And surprise of surprises, He gave me His Word – except that it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for… {is it ever?!}

Every where I turned, every book I read, every blog I skimmed through, even through the Proverbs 31 Bible study; He said…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You’d think I would have known that by now, after blogging about the exact same verse here and here. I realized that I was to continue my stay-at-home jig for a little while longer {months, years, decades maybe?!} serving my husband and praying for my sons… and keeping our home as unto the Lord.

I thought I’d share with you a few things I learnt, while I was waiting on God.

  1. Waiting on God means praying… a LOT!
  2. If possible, fast and pray.
  3. Spend a lot of time in God’s presence, poring over His Word {That’s how He usually talks to us}.
  4. Keep an open mind for anything God may be trying to tell you.
  5. Waiting on God reiterates how much you trust in Him, and God does NOT disappoint those who trust in Him.

We are all in different seasons of waiting on God. You maybe waiting on Him for a job, a life purpose, a life partner, a promotion, a house, a child, a financial breakthrough, a marriage… Keep at it. Don’t give up. When you wait to know God’s will for you, He values the trust you’ve placed in Him – and He will answer you. And while you wait, He will give you to the strength to carry on.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Care to share your experience of waiting on God?

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Counting My Blessings: 280 to 309

When up on life’s billows, you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done! 

~ From the Hymn (Count Your Blessings)

Here I go again, counting my blessings; leading up to at least one thousand gifts I am thankful to God for.

A Gift in Faith, Family, Freedom

280. Knowing the future is secure in my Father’s hands.
281. Being together, no matter what.
282. The freedom of being a stay-at-home mom.

A Gift in Red, White, and Blue

283. The Lego box.
284. The keys on our electric keyboard.
285. 3 pairs of flip-flops.

3 Gifts of Persistence

286. Trying to get our internet connection fixed.
287. My husband’s desire to play football.
288. The sons, constantly begging to help me in the kitchen.

3 Gifts of Enthusiasm

289. The kids, excited to be attending our prayer group.
290. Our prayer group venue’s face-lift.
291. Me, enthusiastic about a lazy weekend.

A Gift of Challenge, Conflict, Change

292. Finding a house, big enough to accommodate 3 growing boys.
293. The sons, not wanting to get back home.
294. Doing my hair up in a new hairstyle that my husband suggested.

3 Gifts Water

295. A light drizzle.
296. The sudden thunderstorm.
297. 3 purple water bottles.

A Gift of Rhythm, Rhyme, Reason

298. The rhythm of my feet, on my morning run.
299. The sons belting out a rhyme they learnt in school.
300. Trying to make the kids understand, why they can’t always have their way.

3 Gifts in Weakness

301. His strength.
302. A husband who’s always willing to ease my burden.
303. The time to rest.

3 Gifts in Jars

304. Jam.
305. Homemade chocolate syrup.
306. Jalapeno chili mayonnaise.

A Gift of Life, Growth, Decline

307. My grandfather – feeble, yet so strong.
308. The money plant, in a corner of our living room.
309. My blog stats ;).

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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Monthly Goals: July

Well… I’ve got to admit, I spent most of last month perfecting my morning routine, and I didn’t make much progress on my monthly goals. Here’s the rundown anyway!

My goals for the month of June were:

  1. Stay up to date with the Good Morning Girls Proverbs 31 Bible Study. — Done
  2. Pray God’s Word over my sons everyday, using June’s prayer calendar provided by The MOB Society. — Done
  3. Finish reading 21 Days of Prayer for Sons. — Done
  4. Finish reading A Confident Heart. — Pending {I’ve got two chapters left}
  5. Read through The Love & Respect Experience with my husband. — No Progress
  6. Teach the kids to recite Matthew 6:9-11 (First half of the Lord’s prayer). — Done
  7. Teach the kids phonics (Letters U-Z). — Done
  8. Teach the kids cursive writing (Letter A). — No Progress {Planning to try again after a few months.
  9. Organize all the books on my Kindle for PC app. — Not Complete {I don’t think I’ll ever get my 1000+ books organized, so I’m going to make an effort to read more of them instead!}
  10. Memorize Proverbs 31:12, Colossians 3:23, Philippians 2:14 & Hebrews 10:35-36. — Done

My goals for the month of July are:

  1. Stay up to date with the Good Morning Girls Proverbs 31 Bible Study.
  2. Pray God’s Word over my sons everyday, using July’s prayer calendar provided by The MOB Society.
  3. Finish reading A Confident Heart.
  4. Finish reading The Love & Respect Experience.
  5. Teach the kids to recite Matthew 6:12-13 (Second half of the Lord’s prayer).
  6. Teach the kids to write small letters (Letters ‘a’ and ‘b’).
  7. Read at least 4 new Kindle books to the kids.
  8. Finish Weeks 4-6 in the Couch to 5K training plan.
  9. Read through the book of John in the Bible.
  10. Memorize the following scriptures.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

Do you have the habit of setting weekly/monthly goals? If you do, how did you do last month? If you don’t, how do you keep track of things you need to get done?

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