The Passionate Mom – book review

I had the awesome opportunity to review Susan Merrill‘s book “The Passionate Mom: Dare to Parent in Today’s World” (click here for the Kindle edition).  The opportunity came from the author herself, whom I had the privilege of meeting at a friend’s wedding last year.

I have to assure the men that while this book is “The Passionate Mom“, this book is for the dads as well.  I think that every parent should read it.  Perhaps it should be renamed The Passionate Parent?!

Susan uses the book of Nehemiah as a guide for parenting.  She talks about Nehemiah and his request for permission from the king to go repair the wall surrounding Jerusalem.  She has 10 P’s that title each chapter.  The first P is Perception.  When I was reading this chapter, I thought about how sometime I am so busy perceiving other peoples issues that I fail to perceive my own child’s issues.  To truly get what’s going on with our kids, we have to spend a lot of time just watching and listening.  What we actually do is talk to much and lecture and we miss the real story.

Susan’s fifth P word was Patience.  Patience just happens to be a weakness for me as well as evidenced by it being my word to focus on for 2013.  Let’s just say that I get her issue with patience, because I have my own.  Our kids need for us to be patient.  They are fairly new to this thing we call life and we can’t expect them to be as on the ball as those of us that have been around the block a few times.

Susan touches on every imaginable topic that a mother (parent) needs to know about when raising children.  I’m sorry I didn’t have this book when my now 19 year old son was younger.  I think it would have helped me through some of the tougher times he faced as a tender-hearted child.  The good thing is that he is doing well, making friends, and growing up to be a fine man.

So, go get the book, because it’s fabulous.  It goes on sale Tuesday, 4/16/2012.  Susan is such a vibrant woman, wife, and mother.  She and her husband Mark (of Family First & All Pro Dad & iMom fame) are raising children with various personalities.  I can’t imagine her not hitting of most situations that touch every family.  And, while she writes from a Christian’s perspective, non-Christians can learn from the examples she gives from her own experience in difficult or different times.

God is Faithful! (Patience – day 86)

I just wanted to write this post to encourage someone.  Today is day 86 of 2013 and day 86 of my year of patience.  I have fabulous news to announce to my dear readers.  Today at 1 PM, Scott and I were no longer home owners!!!  <cue cheering crowd here!>

By the time you read this, I will have signed off on the final paperwork without my darling husband, because he has to be out of town during business hours this week for work.  He signed off on his paperwork last night with our realtor, Steve Scherpf with SSI Realty.  I can’t sing this man’s praises enough.  If you live in the Pinellas County, Florida area and need a realtor, please call Steve.  He is THE BEST REALTOR EVER!!!

Steve told me last night, as I was giving him updates on my husband’s ETA (estimated time of arrival), that the drama of the house sale continued even through the day with the mortgage company asking for unnecessary paperwork and not understanding why is wasn’t necessary (I.E. lead-based paint disclosure on a house built in 1998).  I mean, really?  Who ARE these people?   And where did they get their crazy rules?

I want to let you know that never, ever, even one time did I doubt God’s promise to be faithful and for the sale of our house to go through.  I certainly was tested.  Our house was never without a buyer for more than 72 hours after it went on the market.  Four buyers in less than one month and the last buyer, whose realtor and mortgage company promised that the financing was in order and then wasn’t.  I could have lived without the roller coaster ride we’ve been on since the beginning of January, but then I wouldn’t have known how trusting of God I’d be and I wouldn’t see just how faithful He is.  Nonetheless, I’m glad that it’s over.

Patience – day 60 and the week of the big move

Day 60.  So much has happened from day 42 to today.  This week, we moved from our house to our new apartment.  Thank God we had the foresight to take the whole week off because I’m exhausted and I’m hurting.  Here’s the run down:

Monday, the movers came and moved all of our belongings to our apartment.  While Scott was at the house with them, I came over to the apartment and got our keys.  I also unpacked my car of all of the pet stuff, along with the pets.  My car was packed to the hilt.  I got everything out and into the garage, then I moved it all upstairs except for the actual fish tank.  That thing is heavy!

I got the cat, his litter box, and food into the laundry room.  I got the fish tank stand and all of the fixings for it upstairs.  Did I mention we have stairs?  Man, oh, man, we have stairs.  When the movers came, they graciously brought the tank up.  Poor fish was out of his tank for probably 3 hours.  The movers took half the time they estimated to move us, so the bill was half of what we expected.  Halleluiah!  We started to unpack.  My parents were wonderful and made dinner for us, so we walked over to their building, ate, and came home to our apartment to sleep.  As an aside, our house appraised and the closing is moving forward for the sale of our house.

Tuesday, Scott and I went back to the house to get the rest of our stuff and vacuum the place out.  We, also, met up with the guys from the Center of Hope Thrift Store so that they could take all of the stuff that we were giving them.  I said good-bye to my wedding dress that hadn’t seen the light of day since the day we got married 23 years ago, furniture, dishes, decorations, linens, a treadmill, and more.  I dread having to itemize it on our 2013 taxes, but I started a list.  Tuesday was a lot more physical day than Monday.  The hurt really kicked in.  I have to say, we did dinner right by going to Bonefish Grill and eating what I lovingly call “dead cow”.

Wednesday, Scott and my dad went over to the house to get the gas grill and our perishable food with the van.  I got a pedicure with my mom.  I think I got the better deal!

Thursday, Scott and I went back to the house to meet the thrift store guys, again, because their truck was too full on Tuesday to take everything.  We left the house for the last time.  YAY!  The 3 of us went over to the IKEA in Tampa to get our new dishes.  Then we came home and I washed them all by hand.

Today, we slept in.  Well, I haven’t been sleeping well in our new place, so I was up at 6:10 AM and thank God for it, because Tim has been so tired that he’s been oversleeping and not getting up for school.  So, the mom-alarm got him up today (and Tuesday, but who’s counting?).  Scott and I grocery shopped and I actually cooked dinner.

So, as you can see, patience is paying off in God’s timing and not my own.  It’s amazing what a difference 18 days makes.  I still feel like I’m on vacation with my stuff and I’m sure reality will come barging in on Monday morning as I drive twice as many miles as I used to drive.