Major Season Change

December 14, 2018 by 6 Comments

The Dark Ages are named was not because it was necessarily a period of "dark" hardship, season of gloominess, or anything like that. It was named such because it was a time period where not much was recorded in the way of narratives. Records were lost. There's little known about this period of time.

In the same way, I feel like I've been in a time marked by lack of story telling, recording history as seen through my and my families eyes, or even a period of perceived silence. My prayer is that with this new season change, God is moving me on to my own Renaissance. My family and I need a time period of rebirth, re-freshening, and rejuvenation.

With major season change comes a lot of hard things. These hard things in my life did not come as quickly as they may seem if you're hearing about them here for the first time. They're the hard things we've been praying through for months on end. We're trying not to ask belaboring questions about WHY. Does it matter? God is still God and His will is still going to be accomplished.

We are closing The Valley church and seeking full time ministry opportunities for our next season of life.

I'm not going to sugar coat it, I've been angry with God for not moving mountains, making the way easier, or answering prayers how I see fit. Sometimes trying to hide while ugly crying in public spaces. Life has been hard the last few months/year(s). Choosing to squeeze as many learning opportunities out of my Dark Ages has become my coping mechanism in order to be prepared for the next adventure God has for me, ideally in my Renaissance. Taking initiative to pressure cook our healing as a family through family counseling has been a good experience, helping us work through ALL the changing aspects of our lives.

Foster Care:
Children who were in our home for months and month, who had become part of our family, were finally able to return home. Children who were placed with us quickly, were just as quickly moved to another home when it looked like they would be in need of an adoptive family. New laws for our State that will pass in the summer have us questioning our next move with attempting to add children to our family.

Church:
We felt God tell us back in the summer that it was time to close the valley chapter of our lives but weren't given a timeline or a picture of what was to come next. We received mostly positive, reaffirming responses when we told close friends and family about the decisions, but those couple negative responses are the ones that eat away at us and make following Jesus that much harder. Being brave and casting resumes to new territory across the country is what God has us doing; as rejections seem to be what we're catching, it may just be His plan for us to pressing into Him more right now.

Homeschool:
Among all the other variables, I feel run ragged. I don't feel like I'm doing as well as I'd like teaching, training, or raising my children in general. Trying to decipher what's best for them (and me) in this season is tough. I don't have a peace about changing our current plan and putting them into public school but my bones ache with weariness of everyday house management, child rearing, and basic schooling much less the extraordinary learning and training I aspire to pour into them.

I'm hoping to learn how to process the seasons God is bringing me through. It's become increasingly difficult to respect the boundaries and privacy of many who come in and out of our lives but at the same time be able to chronically my own life. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have it any other way --> woven so closely in a community of messiness. But between church work, ministry, homeschooling, active involvement at local schools, foster care, and life, there's a lot of rough edges that catch me off guard. Wounds we earn, uncover, or even inflict. Pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14) can, many/most days be exhausting.

If you would, pray for peace, continual guidance, and strength to stay the course for my family and me. Thanks for stopping by to read my ramblings.

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Filed Under: as Jules is living, The DeChurched, The Ones about The Valley Church

PSA: Bunk Bed Bandit

September 2, 2018 by Leave a Comment

PSA:

There’s a reason DCFS doesn’t allow children younger than 6 on the top bunk.

Maybe we need to raise that age in our household AND make it gender specific...

😳

In all seriousness though, my child could have easily died from this.

We recently moved #pussinboots out of a toddler bed and onto the bottom bunk moving #jtheman to the top. We removed the risers we were using to allow the trundlebed and matters to fit under the entire bunk to make the bed lower and feel safer for them.

The second morning of him being up there, J decided to “go down the other side” to get out of bed being silly.

Matt was leaving for work. #izzieru was in the front yard saying good bye. Some kids were still sleeping and others were playing. I was still in my room.

Izzie and I heard J screaming in his room and she told matt she hear him.

This is a classic boy-who-cries-wolf. Sadly, J over-reacts to things so often that none. None of us rushed to his aid.

Matt went to work. I went about getting ready for a shower. Iz slowly wondered into J’s room.

It wasn’t until the screaming continued and I heard him kicking the wall that I wondered in there.

*keep in mind, these pictures are not from when I found him*

I walked in to see him stuck, similar to this but caught closer to his throat with his chest pinned against the wall between that and the bed. Iz was in the top bunk grabbing one of his arms and yanking upward while the 4 year olds watched in territory.

I ran over to try to calm him down so we could give him out faster. I pushed upward on his legs while Iz pulled but he didn’t move.

I ran to the other end of the bed, shooed preschoolers out of the way, and jerked the bed trying to pull it away from the wall to release him. It didn’t move. The legs of the bed had dug into the carpet.

J was still screeching and starting to turn colors.

-Pause-

We’ve had soooo many discussions about proper reactions in different situations. This would definitely be a time where panicking would seem appropriate but he was about to pass out and we’ve got to learn some better responses in order to...well, not die.

So I did what every reasonable Mamma who may or may not be panicking would do—>I swatted his dangling bottom and told him to pull himself together. Then I heaved the leg of the bed located next to him in the air and shoved the bed away from the wall until there was enough from for him to drop out, all while the 8yo was on the top bunk and the preschoolers were on the bottom bunk, for a closer look at their suffocating brother.

For. Real.

Hugs. Lectures. Running away. Fixing the trundle and bunk so it was as close to the wall with no more wiggle room. {budumpbump} And texts to #mymatticus ensued before I made him come back and get stuck again.

That’s right. This Mamma ain’t loosing a kid to like bunkbed dismounts!

I made everyone come into the bedroom. Explained this was dangerous and they needed to know how not to die. I promised J we could get him out f needed but we were gonna practice some calm ways to get himself out.

I had J climb back down the bed the same way. Without! panicking, screaming, kicking, etc he had to get out 2 different ways. Neither way was perfect but he did learn it was possible AND he could get help a lot faster if asking for specific help calmly.

These kids. Man they keep me on my toes and make me rethink everything I think I know daily.

How was your Saturday?

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Filed Under: as Jules is living, Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Ink Obsession

March 29, 2018 by Leave a Comment

I had a facebook friend asking about printers and ink options the other day. I thought I'd share about our because between life, fostering, homeschooling, and church planting, our family prints a LOT of stuff.

>this is not a paid post but does contain my referral link that could help supplement our ink obsession if you happen to sign up using it<

Life and becoming a foster home has all of us in need of printing things no and then. Party decorations, random signs, receipts, seasonal coloring pages, homework assignments, paperwork that needs signatures, things you have to keep posted in your home, etc.  I'm sure I'm missing something.

We have had 2 printers in the 7 years of homeschooling. I run them ragged. We don't do the box-curriculum for lots of little reasons but one of those is space in our budget. There's more to it but basically, we do a store bought grade-level workbook and supplement with educational games, activities, field trips, movies/shows, and free/cheap things found on the internet. Although free to download, things found on the internet often require printing them off, sometimes 3-5 copies at a time. There's also the copying of curriculum we've been passed down. That's a lot of paper and ink.

We planted a church nearly 5 years ago. Being a new/small church, we do a lot of DIY or from-my-home stuff including printing children's curriculum, door hangers, post cards, sermon notes, signage, handouts, and all kinds of stuff. That too can be overwhelming and strenuous on me and my printer.

My current HP Envy 4512 [wireless!!!] does printing, scanning, copying, web, and photo stuff. We have had it for at least 4-5 years. It occasionally jams but is a super easy fix. Sometimes my wifi doesn't like to play well but that's just because our small town offers very little in the way high speed access. Another cool feature about this printer is that it works with "instant ink" via HP.

Instant Ink works with SEVERAL different HP printers that allow them to track how much ink is used and then automatically sends you more before you run out. After that, you return the empty cartridge in the package they provide. You can do monthly rates of $3-10 plans based on how much you print. It also allows for roll over pages, the plan can be change super easily, doesn't matter if you're printing colored or black and white. WHAT!? I [heart] color!!! Instant Ink way cheaper than buying ink in the store but it is also way less stressful than running out of ink unexpectedly, having to remember to buy it when you do make it into a store, or making sure to pick out the right cartridge [face palm].

Image result for hp instant ink

Now, that I've referred you to get ink cheap, can someone refer me to a a program for PAPER usage. You know, one that kept inventory, anticipats needs based on upcoming calendar events, and automatically sent you the appropriate stalk. Or maybe I should plant some more trees. Or MayBe I should start a recycling plant in my backyard with all this paper build up.

What do you use your printer for most often? Got any tricks for making it cheaper? How do you deal with paper-build-up!? For real though, I hate paper- ask my recycling guys. They know I'll kick it out the door by the ton.

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Filed Under: as Jules is living, Deals, Foster Care and Adoption, Homeschool, Parenting, Products I've Tried, The Ones about Jules Life {Randomness}, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Toy Jail

February 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment

I’m tired of being the manic mom who has to holler to get things picked up.

Yesterday I decided to print this saying as well as my own list of chores, glued an envelope and magnet to the back of the card-stock, and hung that and an empty plastic bag on the fridge before kicking off this new resource last night. After waaaaay too long asking them to clean up their random messes from the day I picked up a giant tub of stuff still left our. We’ve tried something similar before, but of course, follow through on my part is key. Now that they're a bit older, I'm hoping it will come easier to enforce.

You may or may not have a hard time guessing who the main culprit is [ehem, tiny] but needless to say, everyone had something in the bucket [even *cough* my hubs *cough*] I anticipated the festival of chores to begin today while I prepped food for the Super Bowl party but surprisingly there were at least 4 chores knocked out last night before bed earning back very specific desired items. This morning, a beautifully unexpected thing happened.

I watched my kids’ masterful, late-night plan unfold: all the girls were up as soon as they were allowed, did their morning chores, daily chores, made breakfast, and then started drawing new chores to earn back jailed items while the muffins baked. They worked together, helping one another accomplish chores, and celebrating with each other as each new thing was bailed out of the box. The boys woke and quickly did theirs chores with the encouragement from the girls that they could go early to the valley [church service] with their dad if they did. -news to dad, lol-

Though it’s hard to carry out and remember among the squabbles and basic routine of our days, kids are just tiny humans. We all need a commonality to keep us united. We need to stay focused on a common enemy, the mission at hand, to aid us in minimizing nonsensical arguing and laziness to take over. In our American churches we often forget our common enemy, and it's not other countries, the wrong political party, or those who sin differently than we do.

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Cor. 10:3-5

The cure to our nonsensical squabbles and set in laziness is to refocus our energy. Unite with one another against the actual common enemy. There are bigger things to focus on, the eternal kingdom that actually matters. We've got to put on the full armor of God, forge a beautiful, masterful, late-night if need be, plan to take on what God has called us to. And no, that's a local cause, a single political agenda, or even a worldwide issue. The real goal we should be united under is the great commition Jesus gave us:

18 Then Jesus came to [us]and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." -Matthew 28

#jesusjukedbymykids

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Filed Under: as Jules is living, Jesus Juked by My Kids, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Seriving in Your Community {WITH Littles}

January 25, 2018 by 1 Comment

YOU can serve in your community WITH your littles. They're not keeping you from serving and their not just in tow while you do so.

In some countries, having children is seen as "tying your feet". To be honest, I've felt that way on and off again. Structuring my day around their needs and the routines that help my children thrive occasionally feels like tying my own feet. I know God is at work in so much going on around me and I'd love to be apart of it, all of it. I feel like I'm missing out on blessing when I see God asking us to get to work where He's already working and I can't. I've even felt jealous of others and the serves they're able to do as a single or as a mom of older kids or even a mom of fewer kids. But here's the thing:

God HAS and is continuing to bless me right where I am.

In the this current season. With aaaaall these tiny humans I'm allowed to claim, even for a short time. God has blessed me with a husband after God's own heart. God has blessed me with home after home to raise my family and welcome others into. God has blessed me by abundantly meeting my needs. God has blessed me with friend upon friend, even if some are for a short season and others from a distance. Focusing on my blessings and learning to say no to good things in order to be apart of the Best things has taught me--> I can and Should be serving right where I am, with those placed in my life, when I see the opportunity, because God is bigger than self-pity, routine's, and excuses. I've also learned some practical ways to serve with my children and I'd love to share them with you to help untie your feet.

10 Practical Ways to Serve in Your Community with Your Children

  1. Invite neighborhood children over to play consistently 
    I've totally laid younger children down for a nap while my older children and the neighbor friends played. My children are also getting to participate service to our King through hospitality.
  2. Host a block party in your neighborhood
    I've also put a child down for the night while carrying a baby monitor into my front yard to mingle for the rest of the block party. Depending on your neighborhood, over a holiday weekend, consistently on a specific weekend, or celebrate something fun one time a year might work for you.
  3. Serve within your local Church
    Most churches work hard to put on service events during a time that is family friendly. I've also learned that messing up my kids routine momentarily is well worth the rewards of living and serving in genuine community.
  4. Make and deliver seasonal gifts to neighbor friends, delivery people, grocery store employees, civil servants
    Letting kids come up with fun gifts and who they're give them to helps them be more aware of each person they naturally come in contact with on a daily basis and just how easy being missional in our living can be.
  5. Donate food, clothes, and toys to a local drop off center
    Having children help in decluttering, purging, whatever you want to call it can help them make it natural in their own lives. Being grateful for and generous with our belongings is good stewardship.
  6. Host homeschool meet-ups, field trips, or parties
    When we moved to this town we were told there were lots of other homeschoolers but we've had a hard time finding them. I guess they're all in their homes. lol SO, we created our own coop and simply started advertising it on Facebook. We meet up once a month for a simple party, field trip, or class of some kind.
  7. Go to a rehab or retirement center and sing or dance, then stick around to chat with residence
    The dance class my girls are in actually planned this and take the opportunity to have a mid-year presentation for the grandma's and grandpa's at the local rehabilitation center.
  8. Create and host original events in your city park [or other neutral space in your community] 
    Our community is large in residence but small in things for those residents to do so we've had to get creative from Movie Night in the park to Water Day that included a giant slip-n-slide and huge water gun fight.
  9. Clean up trash on the side of the [back, low-traffic] roads
    This was actually an idea my kids' had while driving down the road after a storm so we grabbed random plastic bags out of the car and hopped to it.
  10. Participate in and serve at as many community events as possible
    This takes most of the prep work out of serving. Stay involved in community and or school events. Find places they need volunteer or just participants and have fun being a part.

Those are just 10 of the simple ways we've found that are fun to serve as a family in our community. Living Missionally [or being intentional to spread the love of Jesus as You are going] is simple but not always easy, if you don't know where to start.

PLEASE, by all means, share what you've learned works!

 

 

 

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Filed Under: as Jules is living, Cool Ministries, Missional Living, Parenting, The Ones about Jules Life {Randomness}, The ones about the Rothacher Home, The Ones about The Valley Church
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