Musings

Sunday's Sermon about the brevity of life and it's unexpected changes convicted me. I left Church so motivated for this week. I was going to try to spend every day like it could be my last....have things in order, house tidy, accomplishments everywhere. Be thoughtful about the way I interact with my Lord, husband, and children. The wife and mother I want to be began to emerge in my thoughts as a beautiful and inspiring force to behold. Some of my mind-chart toppers: Industrious, kind, thoughtful, gentle, industrious, diligent, disciplined, industrious. Ah. There is my problem. I am lazy. When I speak of laziness, I don't actually mean that I never accomplish anything. The circumstances of my life (the two little kidlets and no dishwasher) prohibit that. What I am praying for (and noticing I lack) is a mindset of industry. To plan, to achieve, to be joyful and content in my work. To come to my household with enthusiasm. Jonathan Edwards said (when speaking of good time-man

In Exodus 19 and 20, Moses preserves the account of how God engulfed Mount Sinai in smoke so the people could not see Him. They were so afraid they begged Moses to deal with Jehovah for them...Yet in 12 Chapters they decide to make a golden calf to worship. This stuns me. I try to wonder how long Moses could have been up there...I wonder what it would be like to be so constantly aware of the natural revelations of the Almighty's power (the Pillar of Cloud, and Fire, the crossing of the Red Sea, the Water out of the rock) that a mountain engulfed, with God speaking out of it, wouldn't really phase me for that long. Then I realize I do this all the time. The big, obvious things that God asks of me are so easily forgotten that it boggles the imagination. I can't see the forest for all the trees. I forget to set aside time with the Lord, to purpose to pray, to plan to do good to my family...I end up skating through the day...Please pray for me as I prioritize and schedule thes

Students publicly protested tuition hikes and budget cuts by skipping class today at the University of Washington. My brother is a Husky, but if he supported this, I would really like to understand why. There was a picture of members of the student body with a sign that said "Education is our right." This bothered me on so many levels that I decided an old fashioned rant was due. First: The only education really required by Scripture can be undertaken by parents; Instruction in those thing necessary for contribution to and navigation of society- obviously this would vary by the society you wish your child to be a participant in. We are required by the Lord to instruct our Children in the ways of Him. Secondly: Our current government is already doing scads to make higher education as accessible as possible. Sadly, 'lower' education is falling by the wayside in this state.....which could be why this generation feels so entitled. Thirdly: Students aren't employees.

Friday night...after five days of being ill, I became desperate enough to call a nurse's hot line (at the urging of my sweet and loving husband). After a description of my symptoms, she urged me to see a physician within 24 hours. Thus Saturday morning was planned out. I left the children with said loving husband, and decided to wear jeans (instead of my ultra cute pajama pants- understanding that I may be there for some time, at which point cuteness would not belay the embarrassment of 12:00), but to fore go the makeup....it was 9:30 at a WALK IN CLINIC, for crying out loud. There was a line all the way to the door when I arrived, thirty minutes after opening. Attempting to be unobtrusive, I considerately stood on the opposite side of the door from the lady with the seven-month old. I suppose it proves my mental and physical state that I didn't even notice the lights go out, much less that I supported myself against the light switch. Nor was I discountenanced when the nurse up

Wow. I can't believe it. There was a perfectly amazing blog entry almost complete. It detailed about my perfect Latte spilling onto everything by my perfect son. Apparently this blogger thing doesn't automatically save drafts like wordpress did. Hmm. Recently I have been noticing the eternal things around me. It seems that things are becoming so black and white around me, and sometimes the fallout is heartbreaking. Other times it is so victorious. God has been answering prayers in amazing ways. Devotions have been difficult. I would like to be able to pray and read at the same time...right now they are being compartmentalized. I end up praying when I am nursing her, and reading Scripture during breakfast. Hopefully I will begin blogging in earnest. I think that I put too much pressure on myself. I need to remember that my blog is an outlet for me to encourage as best as I can. Since God has blessed me so much, anything about my life is an encouragement in a way! Also just to

It amazes me how frustrated I can get with myself. Try as I might, my personal, devotional, and disciplined life is not happening. I am just going to have to keep trying, and trust the Lord to give me ideas, and remind me of what I already know. For example...It is okay if I wait to join the 5am club until my baby is consistently sleeping through the night. It is okay if it take me several months to get the baby weight off. I just need to stay on track, and take one day at a time. Today's goals: Go outside, feed my family, read the word. ( in the reverse order). Go Dog Go!

Motherhood: the appearance of laziness, when in reality the vast plethora of things accomplished staggers the casual observer . This is my life today. Compared to other days, it is actually quite lazy. The appearance: Sleeping in. The Reality: I woke up three times in less than eight hours in order to meet the needs of my infant girl. Added to the fact that yesterday's nap only last three minutes, this made me quite exhausted. The kind of exhaustion that even tea cannot overcome. Bringing all the kids into bed seemed like the only option. The Reality: The baby fell off of the ottoman today, which left a not-so-adorable bump on her little head-unfortunately the part of her little body that took the hit. She needed extra cuddling- accomplished during the sleeping in part of the morning. The Caveat to this everybody in bed thing? I now have to wash the sheets, because Abigail spit up on them. The appearance: I haven't cleaned anything. ( Warning: Graphic Spit-Up Content) The Reali

After another blissful night of sleep in two hour increments, I was quite exhausted, when my husband, bless his heart, told me to go back to bed. During this two hour increment, the dishes got done, children were fed, and the house was tidied. I awoke to take in all these wonders at ten o'clock. A few moments following, the doorbell rang. Wearing a robe made me the more decently appareled one, appointed to answer. Opening the door the slightest amount possible to still be polite, I beheld two sweet elderly ladies on a mission to save my soul (from what, I don't know-there are days when ceasing to exist sounds pretty good). Not batting an eye at my bleary raccoon eyes, the one wearing a bit too much rouge inquired, "Is this a bad time?" I, shamefully, explained the baby situation. Immediately both her and her crocheted-multicolored-scarf-wearing confederate nodded sympathetically and made all the appropriate inquiries regarding gender, etc. Rouge-lady then shrewdly lea