The Years I Will I Miss

The end is in sight, and the Medstud will no longer be the Medstud (although he will always be a stud to me). June 3rd, 2016, after eight years of being a student, which makes up our entire marriage, the Medstud will be graduating with his M.D. and M.P.H.(Masters of Public Health). To say I'm proud is an understatement. These last eight years have been full, and I praise the Lord for them! These are the years I will miss. I'm sure I'll say the same of the next season...but I will really, truly cherish these years in my heart. The Lord has been very gracious to us. He has taught us much and grown us individually and together. If I had to use a phrase or mantra, it would be "teamwork." The kids even say it now when cleaning or helping out. 

March 18th, 2016, will probably be a bigger day than graduation. This day is known as "Match Day." It's an annual rite of passage for medical students. And a day when the students will learn which residency program they will train at for the next three to seven years. It's a pretty big deal! This day will determine where we will live and call home for a season. I already told the Medstud I will cry no matter where we go, good or bad... I'm just being honest. I love our family. I love our friends. I love our Church (it's our 2nd home). I love California and all its smog and traffic. I'm a Cali girl. My kids are Cali kids (ask them about swimming in the middle of December). This has been home. If we end up anywhere outside of Los Angeles, I will trust God's good and sovereign plan for our lives (remind me of this blog when the time comes and I am sobbing my eyes out).  

Another reflection I have as we end our year is the fact that we have three children all before this ride is over. When the Medstud and I were 1st married, we "planned" to have children after medical school was over. Boy, am I ever glad we didn't get what we planned. After a total of 6 miscarriages, we now have three kids!!! What sweet blessings they are and a joy to have gone through this with. 

So much to rejoice over: praying friends who have stood alongside us and encouraged us; a family who has cared and brought us meals and have watched the kids for date nights; good neighbors, that I'm sure can't be found anywhere else on this planet. I think of the list of praises, the people God has placed in our lives to love us, His constant provision and care for us.

I'm just grateful for it all. So, if we come to mind, please pray for us and this next year of life. Pray that we enter it with thanksgiving and bring glory to the name that is above all names! 

Lastly, my encouragement for you. Count your blessings, big and small. Recall to mind all the Lord has done  and allowed in your life. Know that His ways are always better than ours. All things done by our awesome God is always for our good and for His glory. 

xo,

MY

Why We Got Rid of Our TV (+ Giveaway)

I don't quite remember when we got rid of our television...clearly we don't miss it since I can't recall when it happened. I grew up with a TV in every room of our home, always on, even if it wasn't being watched. When there was a power outage, the first thing my brother and I would flip out about was our scheduled programs being missed. Fast forward to being married, the TV situation was the same, one in each room...on for the sound and a black hole for wasted time. NOW, let me say having a television in your home is amoral, neither good or bad. BUT it's what we do with it. Kind of the same thing we read in 1 Timothy 6:10, "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Note, the key word there, LOVE. Money is not evil; it can serve both good and bad. It's the love of it that can entangle us.We certainly didn't love our TV, and while we tried to avoid the evils on television, it was serving us no good. It was robbing us of our time. It was making us feel hopeless when all bad news was being reported. And we didn't want our kids growing up with a TV in every room, always on but not being watched and pitching a fit if they were missing their scheduled program. Our oldest is only 4 1/2, but you get the idea, these things happen people!

We started off by getting rid of the television in our bedroom and instead of watching something in the evening before bed, and we began to read more or talk more. Then the Medstud became a 3rd year, rotating through hospitals and life became more full, so we entertained the thought of selling the television. We went back and forth for a while; we were hesitant, BUT finally made the plunge (with the Medstud's leading and confidence that we would get used to it). And we did, the kids never mentioned a thing about it. My oldest had a wonderful idea on what should be done with the money we earned selling it. My idea was to take to it to Wells Fargo; her idea was a lot more charitable. She suggested we donate it to Children's Hunger Fund and with her prompting we did.  This is an organization that since 1991, has given 99% of total contributions. Over 1 billion dollars in food and other aid that has been distributed through programs serving more than 20 million children across America and around the world. They are listed on Forbes as one of the most cost-effective charities in the nation. We love them and what they do. That was my plug for them :)

It is safe to say our time has now been redeemed. Instead of having a TV on in the background while I fold laundry or clean, I stream sermons from my phone OR call people to chat. The kids get to watch shows every now and then, commercial free, on the Ipad, and it's a real treat. Daniel catches a sports game here or there, instead of every single game possible, on the computer. Our family time is spent having tickle parties, getting outside more or just laying around talking, without the interruption of television. We aren't completely screen-free. But it is a lot more accounted for and not as easy as the push of a button on the remote control.

All this said to NOT guilt you for owning a television or watching it regularly, but as a reminder to make the most of our time. Even on our longest day, life is still short. What we choose to fill our days with will have lasting effects or none if filled with lifeless things.

"So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom." -Psalm 90:12

xo,
M.Y. 

Giveaway

For a chance to win a custom clock like this one,

simply share Zarcone Collection's Etsy shop on your social media outlet and this post from Talking Over Toys.

Comment below that this has been done and you will know this Friday if you are the lucky winner!

Giveaway Winner!

I'm so late in posting last week's giveaway winner! 

The Medstud was home early Friday and had most of the weekend off (minus having to go in for a bit Sunday morning and returning for an overnight shift). The kids and I simply love having him home; he's pretty much the life of the party! And when he is home, I tend to drop most things.

BUT our winner for God Made All of Me goes to Haylie Hunsaker! Hope the books blesses you and your family! Enjoy!

Stay tuned for this week's list of fun field trips! 

xo,

M.Y. 

Answer it Tuesday

First of all, check out these lovely flowers the Medstud (aka medical student, aka my stud, aka my hubby) brought home! Mind you he came home ten this morning from a 28+ hour shift! He's currently a 4th-year medical school student at UCLA. And he just so happens to be on one of the most craziest rotations, trauma surgery (blood and guts make me squeamish, so we don't go into much detail). Considering the no sleep he's had, this was very sweet of him. I on the other hand...probably would have face-planted into a large arrangement of flowers and called it a day ;)

Alright, let's get back on track here! One of questions that I would like to answer today is:

What do you use to catechize your kids?

And

Why do you catechize? I think this article has an excellent reason:

In Peace or Crisis, Instruct Your Children in the Lord by William Ross

There are a lot of good books on children's catechism but here are the ones we are currently using. We started the 1st two when our oldest arrow was 2 (she is now 4 1/2) and so far that has been a good age for us. 

1. Big Truths for Little Kids: Teaching Your Children to Live for God by Susan Hunt. 

Susan does an excellent job taking catechism questions and applying them to a short story. And has a Let's Pray section after each story. The book contains 36 short stories. I've done it once through, reading a story a day, but we did not memorize the Q&A. I had the kids repeat the question and answer just to engage them. Now we read it here and there to help drive home our regular Q & A of catechism.

For memorization purposes we use:

2. Catechism for Young Children: An Introduction to the Shorter Catechism by G. I Williamson.  This is the short version of catechism. We do about 5 Q & A day and at the end of the week re-cap. 

Lastly,

3.   Everything a Child Should Know About God by Kenneth N. Taylor 

This isn't a catechism book. But it has a lot of essential Bible truths. Stories are very short, about 30 seconds long and has 1 question at the end. The illustrations match the theme of the short story and reinforce whatever is being learned. 

We don't quite have a structured method, we kind of just do it and try to be consistent. We use hand motions, A LOT of hand motions! We reward and praise. And most of all we pray that the Lord will continue to put a desire in our children's heart to learn His truth. 

May Deuteronomy 6:4-9 be your motivation in how you catechize your kid(s).

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as [b]frontals [c]on your forehead. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 

xo,

M.Y.