Breaking what I created

For several months now Mike and I (mostly my self) have been having sleepless nights due to Ian not wanting to sleep. Mike tends to escape to the extra bedroom to get my much needed rest. Ian loves to be rocked to sleep and for you to just hold him in your arms. Which I LOVE to do. Don't get me wrong. But this promotes a problem when he wakes up during the night and wants to continue to be rocked, sung to, and stay in your arms. We have created this system where if he wakes up and cries he knows mommy or daddy will come to his rescue. He does not self soothe at all! After much sought out advice from other parents, people who work with children and our pediatrician we realize we have to break what we created. This system of mommy and daddy coming to the rescue when lil man wakes up every few hours, 45 minutes, sometimes 20 minutes. We have to break not sleeping in the same bed (Mike and I). I feel like I want to pull out my hair!!!! It kills me to hear Ian scream and cry for us to pick him up and us not go. We do go and check on him, pat him, let him know we are here-he's not alone. Its still hard. I just hope I have hair after he gets through this stage...if he ever gets through this stage.

It came from your heart

The past few weeks I have been listening to Andy Stanleys podcast "It came from within" either while I am cooking, cleaning, feeding Ian or actually have some quiet time. Not all of his lessons have been real fun to listen to.

I have realized my heart needs some work. Everything we do or say comes from our heart...everything! Think about that. Think of some of your actions over the past days, weeks, or even months. Think of some of the things you said that oh maybe you didn't mean to say, it slipped out. It was a "oh my gosh moment I cant believe that came out of my mouth, I cant believe I did that." Christ would say "I can believe it-its in your heart" But oh wait a second-it was a mistake..I really didn't MEAN to say it. I didn't MEAN to act that way, I'm tired, over worked, stretched to thin, I didn't MEAN it. Christ would say "Yes you did, it came from your heart." Luke 6:45 says "Whatever is in your heart determines what you say" (NLT) It doesn't come more clearer than that.

We have learned to put a filter over our mouth not our heart. From a child we are taught you say this, don't say that. We filter what we say in public, in church, around certain groups of people rather than filtering what we allow to reside in our heart. We need to guard out hearts. Guard whats going in your heart, guard what comes out, guard what you allow to take place within. We do everything from our heart. Our heart is what drives us.

Where is your heart taking you? Is everything OK in your heart or do you need to clean house?