I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
Moore Moments
  • Moore Moments-Trials and Transformation
  • About Terri
  • Contact/Subscribe

Just say "No" to Multitasking

11/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Multitasking. It’s going to kill me! And possibly seriously tick off my family. There are times when there is so much to do and so little time, that you must. But there are also times when we think we must, and we really don’t. Even the most organized person can be completely scattered in the midst of multi taking. Women, myself included, boast about how we are wired to multitask so much better than men. But, what is there to brag about?
When we are raising our kids, yes, it is obvious that we are doing fifty things at one time and most times, it is necessary for everyone’s health and well being. But when those days fade into the past, our minds still remain in high gear and trick us into believing we must do it all and the faster the better. I am blessed to be a stay at home mom, so my perspective will be different than some. But I still think this applies to all of us. We are not superheroes. We should not aspire to be. God created us in His image. He desires for us to have a heart for Him and to have a heart for His people. Rushing around day in and day out is not what he intended to be our norm. Society honors the multitasker, but look at the other behaviors the world glamorizes. They are not areas that bring honor to God or to our families.
Now that my rush of responsibilities has subsided, I am reflecting on what I can do differently when it happens again. Yes, I can go back to a previous post and remember to Pause, Pray, Praise and Have Peace. I can see it on my Facebook cover, for heaven’s sake! But implementing it EVERY day takes deliberate action. I feel somehow weak if I don’t finish something in record time. Pausing helps me to get my thoughts settled down and organized before I act. Praying puts my will in line with God’s. Praising gives me a grateful heart before I begin expecting anything. And Peace will follow when I am relying on God to guide me through my tasks. PHEW! At the end of the day, I am grateful for a God who enables me to multitask, but does not require me to do so. He wants me to take time to bask in His presence. It’s good for me and it’s good for you.  Everything else is just stuff.

Temporary busyness will steal our joy. Eternal investment pays a huge dividend! HEAVEN!
​

Heavenly Father, Thank you for reminding me to be still and know that you are God. You have all my stuff already in order, I just need to relax and accept it. Thank you that your mercies are new every day and every minute after a big fail. Teach us to walk in your ways and to stop running on our own. AMEN
0 Comments

Light of the World

11/2/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Have you ever said something and immediately wanted to take it back?  No? Me neither! Ha, I wish!
So I’m driving, reflecting on our current state of affairs regarding his being locked out from his job, and I hear myself say to my husband. “Christmas is going to look a little different this year.” What did I just say?! Ok, so maybe because our financial situation is markedly different, our ritualistic gift buying and obnoxious spoiling of our kids will look different, but Christmas? Not even a chance. Christmas is an amazing season of awe and wonder. It’s a time of year when some who don’t know Jesus become curious, and some even go to church. I don’t doubt that many are saved because of it. But, Christmas in its stripped down original version is a combination of celebrating the Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and a completely Pagan winter festival, with lots of other ethnic traditions thrown in just for fun. It is beautiful and magical on every level.
But the awe and wonder that should be the forefront is this: that God sent His only Son to earth to live among us and to die by our hand as atonement for our sins. He rose from the dead, giving us eternal life.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Romans 3:23-24

That is not magic, but the power of God. The fact that he is able to forgive our sinful nature and adopt us into His family is way bigger than magic. It is miraculous! No tree or decorations or pretty lights compare to the glory of His presence. So the way we celebrate this man made holiday will undoubtedly change based on our present situation (no pun intended!)However, the one true God we are celebrating does not change. He is solid, strong and mighty.
 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called.
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

 
The lights of the season pale in comparison to Light of the world. All the silver and gold, the tinsel and shine are nothing when held next to His heavenly glory.
So, go ahead and celebrate traditions with your family. But be careful not to allow the lines to blur. Jesus is holy and worthy of our praise daily. Christmas is a fun way to celebrate lots of things. But the way we do Christmas should never be in the same league as how we do God.
The bible warns of combining events like these. God knew that His message would become watered down as a result. As believers, we can revive the importance of God and of our need for a Savior to this fallen world. We need to be the salt and light, so that others don’t just get the diluted version of the Gospel. Be deliberate in all you do to show honor and glory to God.  God’s amazing grace covers us when we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, fully surrendering to Him our entire being. So, obviously your salvation is not compromised if you exchange gifts. But I believe we should never let our guard down. Satan uses Christmas to win people to himself by feeding our insatiable need for more stuff; idolatry at its finest. Resist the temptation, and accept that Jesus is all you need.
 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
May God bless us all as we enter the “holiday” months.

We ask, Father, that you give us hearts of gratitude and mouths of praise for you are Holy and worthy. Amen

 
 
0 Comments

Common Core and ITA....

10/8/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
I learned to read with the ITA system. The Initial Teaching Alphabet method was used in the sixties and early seventies as a “better” way to teach children how to read English. Never heard of it? I am not surprised. It was gone as quickly as it came. After just a year or so, all of the ITA textbooks and library books (hundreds of them!!) lined the hallway of our elementary school, and we were allowed to take them home, for FREE!! I still have one!  So long, new wave concept.  I cannot imagine the amount of money districts spent on this experimental way of teaching. While I believe I read and write fairly well, my guess is I would have ended up at about the same level of reading  had I learned the traditional way versus the ITA way. Whatever traditional is!
Curriculum comes and goes, as does research telling us how to better  educate our kids.  As a mom of kids in public school, I come to expect the ebb and flow of change. New technologies and advances make learning more fun in some respects. But the implementation of the Common Core’s “high quality academic expectations” has brought with it a radical change, almost as drastic as ITA. Our kids went from learning by remembering facts, to learning why there are facts? A math problem was solved and either correct or incorrect. Now, we seek the most reasonable answer! WHAT?!  Simple equations that could be worked out in the margins of the worksheet page are turned into problems that require 10 minutes of steps and a whole page of tables to work out. Confidence is falling and frustration is mounting. Critical thinking is, well, critical in many professions. My fear is that not all kids are wired to be surgeons and engineers, or even nurses and teachers. We need a generation that is not calculator dependant by 6th grade! Who will make change? Who will cater food according to a recipe, being able to double it without a calculator, and without caring why, just knowing you need to based on the number of people who want food! A reasonable guess isn’t going to cut it when a carpenter needs specific measurements to come together to form a building. OK, I may be getting a little melodramatic, but you get the point, especially if your kids are in public school.
But just as I learned to read by a ludicrous method imposed by a government with and invented by “scholars” with the next big thing mentality, this too shall pass. I will not expect all A’s out of my kids. After all, the common core curriculum is what is being graded right now anyway. How effective it is and how well the teachers are portraying it is being played out for now.  I have accepted that we do not all fit in this cookie cutter society even though our schools think we do. My kids will end up fine and most likely at the same academic level regardless of the curriculum or crazy concepts used. If this system stifles their learning, it cannot snuff out their creativity and their core. And it will be ok if they are C students who do not attend college.

It will be amazing if they grow up to be kind, God fearing, Jesus loving citizens who love and help their neighbor.

​So, for now I pray for a tame tongue and peaceful thoughts regarding the educational system and for patience with and compassion for my kids.. They, after all are the ones getting the brunt of all this. So, while our evenings have become more frustrating and stressful, I cannot just be ticked and stomp my feet. I have to decide to encourage my children to do their best, even if it is not the status quo. I need to daily remind them that their performance is not as important as their character and that change does not have to be scary. You can dislike it, but don’t fear it. Life is too short for any one thing to take over the mood of a household. I will savor every minute of the 5 hours they have for family time every evening and align our priorities accordingly. I also pray for the teachers who must implement these new teaching concepts.
God, please be with our children every day as they navigate this scary world. Help them to be strong because their identity is in you, Jesus. You are the potter and we are the clay. Your Holy Spirit is our common core. Amen.
2 Comments
    Picture

    Terri Moore

    Welcome to my blog page where I share tidbits of my life experiences. I hope you find my posts entertaining and inspiring! My testimony is a result of my trials. God is faithful, and I hope to glorify Him with my words and witness. May you be blessed!

    Not on Facebook much and afraid of missing new posts? If you would like new posts to go directly to your inbox,
    ​ go to my contact page and complete the form, or subscribe to the RSS Feed below.

    My loves!

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Christmas
    Faith
    Family
    Forgiveness
    God's Love
    Grace
    Prayer

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    June 2021
    April 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    August 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    April 2019
    March 2019
    November 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from mtphrames, grassrootsgroundswell, nociveglia