FLEXIBILITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have noticed many ways that I've been stretched to grow since becoming a wife and mother...up close to the top of the list is being FLEXIBLE...

Did you know that being FLEXIBLE is a thinking skill? I used to teach thinking skills as part of my teaching job in Texas. It's the second step of creative thinking. If you want to become a creative thinker then you need to be someone who can think of many, many ideas or options. This is called FLUENCY. The second step of creativity can help you to become more FLUENT. Want to think more creatively as a mom? Then, become FLUENT and FLEXIBLE. FLUENT thinking tells me that there may be many options to my difficult situation. FLEXIBLE thinking says don't get stuck in the same category - change it up. I'll get back to this in a minute...

Over and over again, FLEXIBILITY has been required for me to make it as a mom. Get a rubber band out of your junk drawer and do a little experiement with it. See if you can take it around your kitchen and stretch it out around 10 different shapes. What happens each time you stretch it out? Why, it adapts and changes for or to the need of the moment! What happens when you take it off? Why, it returns to its original state! A rubber band is my hero object of FLEXIBILITY.

So, you are having trouble keeping your kids busy over the summer? Too much TV? Not enough learning about playing together or helping others? Make a FLUENCY list of all the things you and your kids need to do before the summer is over: swing in the park, wade in puddles after a rain storm, teach the kids how to play four square or hopscotch, get a game of croquet at a garage sale and set it up for family fun....oh, my, see what's happening...these are all outside play activities...not alot of variety.

Now's when the creative thinking skill of FLEXIBILITY comes in: think of different categories of things you want to teach or do with your children this summer: service, courage, becoming better readers, getting to know some neighborhood kids, better listening and obeying skills....now write your own categories at the top of different pieces of paper. Guess what? Your FLUENCY may be getting ready to increase ten - fold. Make a FLUENCY list under each of your categories...feel that FLEXIBLE thinking grow as you write????

Holy Spirit, in all circumstances please fill me with your patience, kindness, gentleness, peace....help me see all the opportunites that are out there just waiting to bless my children and others...open my mind to become less rigid and more full of grace...

Today, I'm at the Sikes family reunion and I just learned that Steve will not be coming at all. I'm frustrated, sad, disappointed, and actually really ticked....but with God in my heart, He helps me to re-shape my thinking. He's helping me to see all the options I have other than nursing my wounds: there are people to encourage, people to serve, ways to bend and re-shape myself for the needs of the moment as I look out over this group of 111 people...one of them being the most FLEXIBLE woman I know...Mama Sikes, my dear mother-in-love.

Stay tuned for tomorrow...it'll be great!!!!