The nitty gritty of it all

*Let's just all sit back and soak in the wisdom as Elise shares her heart on grace-based parenting. It's all about soaking up grace for yourself, so you can give grace to the little people*


Grace-based mothering.. It sounds so perfect.  Nice and orderly. But, let's get real here for a minute ladies. 

The anger, desperation, and hopelessness a little two-and-a-half foot person can stir up in me can be downright startling. 


Let me tell you... Alexa. Is. Sassy. 

Destructive. Challenging. Defiant. Non-stop. 

She can find things no matter how high and hidden I try to store them, and she is quick and effective with her graffiti. She "plays" hide-and-go-seek at bedtime and won't come out no matter how I call, threaten, or discipline her afterwards. It's a good thing our closet door is frosted glass... I could've been up all night that kid was being so still, standing there innocently next to the vacuum cleaner and wrapping paper. 

She takes off her soiled diapers and leaves gifts for me to find, she's put her Aunt's finger nail polish on her face as "makeup", and she has shut one of our kittens in our front loading washer(the kitten was completely fine, and has been rehomed). 

I need lots of grace to survive this child, and for her to survive me! I'm certain some of you might know some little people similar to her?

I wrote in my last post that we can not give what we do not have, and we can not have what we do not accept.

Grace comes from Grace. To have grace to extend to our children, we must accept Grace. We must be in relationship with Him to receive from Him. 

Okay I admit it--I'm needy. Desperately needy. I will accept grace from Grace... but how?

When I set my alarm to wake up early for Jesus time... no matter where I put my phone, no matter how early I plan get up, Alexa always seems to find it first and hide with it, maniacally scrolling through my pictures. She usually gives her location away because she can't help but click on the videos... a good portion of which are of her being extremely loud doing something I probably shouldn't be recording to later laugh about. But laughter at her antics are a survival mechanism for me. Don't judge me. 

 I am also homeschooling a brilliant six year old, and caring for a five month old baby who is just learning to scoot-crawl very quickly...   

Realistically, I am in a place in life where physical stillness for more than five minutes results in a dead-to-the-world kind of sleep. A place where on-the-knees prayer results in waking some time later with my folded up legs aching from a long lack of circulation and a carpet imprint on my forehead.

Please don't misunderstand--Alexa is a treasure and I love her fiercely and I pray to God I will continue to have the privilege of raising her--I'm just being straightforward about the toll it takes. 

So if you can identify, may I offer a few suggestions on how to keep communion and intimacy with Grace during your hectic mommy days/months/years?