Share the Hope!



Today, you are in for a treat!

I’ve invited my blogging friend Stephen Altrogge to share a post about parenting. I love his transparency and the way he describes his life, his home, and his girls.

Thank you, Stephen, for reminding us that we only have this one chance to love our kids and our grandkids.

May we make the most of every moment – even the loud and annoying ones!



Parenting is tiring and often feels crazy.

Every night, after my final child is ushered into her bed, I feel like running victory laps around the house.

I made it to the end of the day, and I can finally have a few short hours to myself. A few hours when I can breathe. When I can stop playing referee/ judge/jury between Charis and Ella and Gwendolyn.

When Jen and I can have a conversation that doesn’t sound like a really bad Skype call, with constant breaks and interruptions. And, when I’m not immersed in “My Little Pony” world.

how to enjoy your

How to ENJOY your kids right now

And the thing about little girls is that they talk.

A lot.

Like non-stop, breathe-in-talk-out, a lot.

I grew up in a predominately male household, and so this whole idea of using words to communicate ideas is kind of new to me. It’s also kind of exhausting.

Every day feels like a mix of physical, spiritual, and emotional warfare mixed in with a lot of laughs and giggles.

Every day feels like a mix of physical, spiritual, and emotional warfare mixed in with a lot of laughs and giggles. Click To Tweet

There are many days when I wish things weren’t so crazy.

When I wish the girls would grow up a little bit. When I wish that my home life didn’t revolve around potty training and breaking up girl fights and learning the names of every single pony on My Little Pony. Or, when I wish that I had more me time.

But I’m becoming increasingly aware that life moves way too fast.

My oldest is now seven. Ten?!? When did she turn ten? Where did my little peanut go? Now I’ve got a little girl who is losing teeth and doing homework and telling me about the ears of a horned owl.

Each day crawls by, but each year blows by me like a hurricane.

I want God to help me treasure the craziness and delight in the insanity.

In my craving for peace and rest, I don’t want to miss all the delights that come with this season of my life.

In my craving for peace and rest, I don't want to miss all the delights that come with this season of my life. Click To Tweet

My life is full of blessing if I only have the eyes to see it.

  • Charis still giving me a kiss when I drop her off at school.
  • The slight smell of spit that always accompanies thumb-sucking Ella.
  • Gwendolyn’s delightful obsession with making sure she opens the front door for me when I go to work.
  • All my girls dancing like nobody’s watching when we listen to “Happy” by Pharrell.
  • Gwendolyn singing “He’s Got The Whole World” in his hands, and doing the accompanying hand motions.
  • Charis coming home from school and proudly announcing that she got to be on the color purple for scoring high on a test at school (whatever that means).

I know that it won’t be long before my girls are entering middle school, then high-school, then college.

I want to treasure these crazy, insane days, because I know I’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Prayer –  Lord, teach me to number my days. Teach me to treasure each day that I have, and to see every day as a sacred gift. And, teach me to treasure my three little crazies. Teach me to delight in all their quirks and peculiarities. Teach me to embrace the loudness and laughter. Give me eyes to see the innumerable blessings that surround me. Kill the impatience and craving for comfort that so often eats away at my joy.

I have 10,000 reasons to bless you, and three of them take up most of my time. Teach me to treasure them.

I have 10,000 reasons to bless you, and three of them take up most of my time. Teach me to treasure them. Click To Tweet


“Teach us to number our days,
    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Psalm 90:12

how to enjoy your verse (1)


About the author:

Stephen Altrogge Bio PicStephen Altrogge is a freelance writer who lives in Tallahassee, Florida.

He’s married to Jen and has three children.

He regularly writes at The Blazing Center.




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helloredds@gmail.com

Best-Selling Author | Speaker | Blogger| Podcaster | When the world is falling apart, we can ALWAYS trust in God’s goodness!

2 Comments

Nicole Mouchka · 01/08/2019 at 8:01 PM

Love this! Being a parent is hard work but each stage has a sweetness all its own when we take the time to savor the moments. I work in an elementary school, and years ago, I can remember looking at my students and wondering what my daughter would be like at that age. Now, I look at my school kiddos and think “I remember when Scout was that age”. It’s all about finding the sweetness in the midst of the craziness. Each age and stage has blessings all its own. Thanks for sharing!

    helloredds@gmail.com · 01/09/2019 at 11:49 AM

    Thank you, Nicole!
    You are so right – it’s all about finding the sweetness at every age!
    And, you sound like a wonderful mom and teacher.
    Blessings to you,
    Melanie

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