September 29

September 28

September 27

September 26: To WAIT: A Lost Art

WAIT {weyt}

verb:

1. {archaic} to be available or in readiness for

2. to look forward to eagerly

3. to continue as one is in expectation of; await

noun:

4. an act or instance of waiting or awaiting; delay; halt

5. a period or interval of waiting

6. {obsolete} a watchman

synonyms: 

await, linger, abide, delay, tarry. Tarry is a somewhat archaic word for wait, but it suggests lingering, perhaps aimlessly delaying, or pausing (briefly) in a journey. {dictionary.com}

*******************

Today the kids were home from school, and I was looking forward to a relaxing/hanging out at home/playing outside kinda day, especially since some of us are still kicking a cold. 

Instead my morning was met with the fallout from a "Babysitters Beware" movie we watched last night, complete with finger paint in the sink and toilet, the bathroom covered in toilet paper, legos and flossers strewn around the floor, paper glued to the walls, and a bag of chia seeds perched atop the door, which promptly bursted open upon missing it's intended target {me} and crashing to the floor. 

Note: Don't let your kids watch that movie. There was a good message in there somewhere about families being a team and all, but it was lost to my kids in all the intriguing naughtiness. They also missed the "do not try this at home" memo. After all the cleanup, I pray they learned their lesson. 

And I didn't even get to my cup of coffee until about 2pm. This was serious. 

So when I finally got around to the things I needed to do about midday, they needed my help with something. Of course. I've tried to be better about not dropping what I'm doing and attending to their every whim and having them do for themselves what they were able to, but this task involved a permanent marker, so I told them they had to wait until I was done. 

And when you're six or seven, waiting is really hard. We're talking excruciating. 

No sooner did I turn the vacuum back on and I noticed Clayton was missing from the table where they were all supposed to be sitting eating lunch. He had already grabbed the permanent marker and was getting ready to take care of it himself when I stopped him.

"What does wait mean?" I asked. The question was met with a side glance and shrugged shoulders.

"Does it mean get up out of your chair and write it yourself?" I'll give you a hint: NO. 

"It means sit there until I'm done, and I will help you."

Do you ever say something, and no sooner is it out of your mouth and you feel God saying those exact words right back to you? Ya, parenting can be a b$%&* like that sometimes.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 

We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it. Proverbs 16:9

I was expecting a friend in the afternoon, and after this morning's fiasco, I was quite behind on the housework on the main floor to make the house even presentable, let alone clean. It is amazing what you can get done in a hurry if you need to, though, and I was able to get the floors cleaned up and swept in time.

As I finished up, it occurred to me that if she had been a little early, even just 5 or 10 minutes, she would've been greeted with a very different house. A much, much dirtier house. In those 10 minutes I was able to get the entire kitchen picked up and swept, thus leaving the house looking…clean. 

To wait means...

To linger, to be expectant, await, linger, abide, in readiness for, look forward to eagerly,  a watch{wo}man.

It doesn't mean…

Continuing, acting, going, doing, taking care of it yourself…

We can plan all we want but it's the Lord who orders our steps. He makes it possible; He makes it come to pass. And in HIS timing, not ours. Not a moment too soon, not a moment too late. 

You see, if we try to take care of it ourselves, if we try to force it or make it happen, the Lord isn't ready yet. He doesn't have all the pieces in their perfect place. 

Life is like this big elaborate chess board, and the Lord is the Ultimate Strategist. He has all the moves planned out, but it takes time. One move at a time. One piece at a time.

One move creates an opportunity for another, and another, and they build upon each other. This strategic and purposeful dance around the board, courting and watching and waiting for one another. All the pieces are important, and each serve their purpose. 

And in the end, it's all about the King. 

It's the King that directs our moves and orders our steps, and it's for His glory. 

He's always working; He's always moving. 

Do you see Him? Are you watching? Because if you are, you'll see it. 

We are a people who are so busy going and doing and acting and taking care of it ourselves that we forget to wait on God. We forget that we need to, that He's the one who makes it happen anyways. We've forgotten that in the end it's all about the King. 

And the King has to work in you before He can work through you. He has a strategy. He has a plan for your life {Jer. 29:11}, but it's one move at a time, and it will take time. 

And the Ultimate Strategist? Ya, He's already won.

September 25

September 24

Irony is reading an article today about Acrylamide {a carcinogenic chemical created when stuff cooked at high temperatures gets burnt, like coffee, toast, potatoes, potato chips, etc.} and then proceeding to burn the potatoes for dinner. 

I never burn the potatoes. In fact, I usually make then fall apart from the premature and incessant shuffling around the pan. 

Not tonight. I had to go and read that article. Obviously that was the reason they got burnt. IRONY.

But don't worry. We still ate the potatoes. They were crunchy. And I'm on my third cup of coffee.

Clearly, I have a death wish...

September 23

September 22: You're Exactly Where You're Supposed to Be

Do you ever feel like you're behind in life? Like you need to hurry and catch up to where you think you should be, usually compared to where others are? 

Like you should've accomplished more by now, or you thought your life would look different at this point. Or better. And you start to get down on yourself and feel like a failure.

What if you're exactly where you're supposed to be at this point in time? 

Not a second early, not a minute too late. Exactly where you're supposed to be. So-and-so might be over there or maybe they've accomplished much, but they're not YOU. And God has His own unique plan for your life. Not to be a copy, duplicate, or replica of someone else. 

Because the time God spends preparing you for what you're supposed to do is just as important as you doing what it is you're supposed to do. It develops character. And perseverance. And endurance. 

And just think about how much more you can observe the terrain and your surroundings and all the beautiful scenery when you walk at a leisurely stroll versus a hurried sprint. Because if you rush by, you'll miss the most important stuff. Sure, it may ultimately take longer to get there, but just imagine how much you'll get to see. How much you'll learn along the way. The life and beauty you'll get to experience.

Because His time isn't our time, but He has made everything beautiful in it's time {Ecc. 3:11}. And when you finally get there, you won't be exhausted and out of breath. You'll be ready to finally finish well because you fully experienced the joy of the journey. 

September 21

September 20

September 19: I Found Jesus at a Garage Sale

I talked to a guy named Eagle about a stove today.


We proceeded to have a rather interesting conversation about home repairs (his occupation), supplies and cars being burglarized (his experiences), garages (his very large one), and the right (again, his) to carry arms and hold home invaders at gunpoint and tell said burglars that next time the phone call would be to the coroner instead of the police. Perhaps the word "conversation" was the wrong choice…


So I gave him a really good deal on the stove.


Being on the selling side of a garage sale is completely different then being on the buying side. It's not only a lot of work for the seller to round everything up, haul it out, set it up, price it and make it look appealing, but you're at quite a disadvantage financially. Putting up a garage sale sign is the equivalent of saying to the general public: "Come pay us money for our useless crap that we would otherwise donate to charity or put on the curb… for free."


And experienced garage salers know this. Heck, everybody probably knows this.


And the only reason that we intelligent sellers continue to go through the charade is for exactly the same reason--to make a couple bucks from our used and now useless items. Beggars can't be choosers, so sadly, we have to take what we can get. We are at the mercy of the buyers, who are usually as shrewd as they are quirky. If their items total $8.75 and they hand you $9.00, you will never hear "keep the change." Every quarter counts, and you better believe they'll be wanting theirs back.


One by one as the items get snatched up and leave for $0.50, a dollar or two, $5 here and there if you're really lucky, the disparity between what you paid for them and what they're "worth" now becomes glaringly clear, and depressing. I learned that difficult lesson at my garage sale last year when I tried to sell a big, colorful, modern framed print that I'd bought from Target for $98. I thought I liked the modern look and was committed to decorating our house that way, so I "invested" in this nice print to tie the living room together. I also bought a colorful, abstract area rug for well over $200 to go with it.


And then I changed my mind.


I realized that the vintage, unique feel of Shabby Chic-like decor was more "me," so we decided to sell our gently used but still in good condition modern decor items. The area rug sold for a mere $25 after some negotiating, and I couldn't get anyone to buy the print for even $5. One lady tried but it wouldn't fit in her car. So she offered an apology and wanted a refund. We ended up giving it away.


Ouch. Expensive mistake.


And then there are items that we did like and used for a time but have no need for anymore, like a nice set of curtains from Target that matched the carpet in our old house. Easily $25 a panel at the store, I tried to sell them both for $20 at the garage sale today. I thought that was a steal. The woman replied, "$20?? Oh honey, not at a garage sale… That's too much. You're trying to get rid of stuff, you know? You gotta price it to sell. I got some yesterday at another sale and I only paid $0.50/panel. How about $5?"


For….both of them???


As I watched this and other items slip out of my fingers for a mere fraction of what I paid for them, and probably less then what they're worth, an inevitable sinking feeling accumulated in my gut. On one hand it's nice to get rid of things and clear out the clutter, but on the other hand, you really thought your stuff would be worth more… You hoped it would be worth more, because it was to you when you bought it. After all, you paid full price.

And I found myself wondering this afternoon, as my shallow heart sank once again over the depreciation of yet another material good, if the Lord ever feels the same way about us.


Is He ever saddened by the return on His investment? Does His heart ever sink when we sell out, when we chase idols, when we squander our potential instead of following Him? It must, because He knows we are worth more. We were made for more. You see, He paid full price, too. Not just full price, the ultimate price--it cost Him his very life.


His life for ours. For yours. For mine.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 
Romans 12:1

Our only reasonable response to this great sacrifice would be to do the same--a life for a life. Take your everyday, ordinary life and place it before God as an offering. And I don't know about you, but I fail at this Every. Single. Day. Sometimes every minute. But I'm thankful that His yoke is easy and His burden is light, and that He's on my side. That His mercies are new every morning. And if the God of the Universe is for us, who can stand against us?? {Romans 8:31}

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth 

to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 

2 Chronicles 16:9

September 18

Garage sale day. 

September 17: God Doesn't Have to Guess How Many Jellybeans Are in the Jar

So... I haven't written a lot lately. 

Obviously. 

The truth is, I've been feeling a little sad. Maybe because I haven't been writing, or maybe I haven't been writing because I've been sad {chicken? egg?}. Who knows really. 

But life is just like that sometimes, I suppose. Some days you keep spilling your cereal & even Facebook thinks you don't have any friends. Sometimes life is a mess & so are you. 

And sometimes you're standing in a hot shower after a long day & an even longer week, looking down at all the hair accumulating in the drain {because what else do you do standing in the shower by yourself while listening to Christmas music}, & you remember that...

Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 

Don't be afraid; you are worth more then many sparrows.

Luke 12:7

And you think about all those "guess how many jellybeans are in the jar" games you've played over the years and how much you SUCK at that kind of thing and never come close to the actual number contained inside, thus losing the contest. Every. Time. 

And it's the same problem: you always largely underestimate the sheer number of little tiny beans crammed into the jar. And some poor sap had to count them all to begin with, and probably count them again, just to make sure. They have to know. Because someone {not you} will guess a large, obscure number ending in an odd digit and somehow be right on the money, so the count has to be correct down to the very last bean. 

And you look at all that hair in the drain & realize if you had to guess how many were there that you would undoubtably lose, because there's surely more hair down there then you would think. 

And then the crazy thought hits you that God must know. He would have to. Because if he knows the number of hairs on my head, he must keep a current count. He knows how many there are now & how many I've lost along the way. Today. Yesterday. My entire life. 

And God doesn't even have to guess. He knows. 

He knows.

He doesn't have to estimate. Or hypothesize. 

He knows.

He doesn't underestimate. Or miscalculate. Or mess up.

He just knows.

And the God of the universe, who knows the number of hairs in my drain and the number still on my head, says DON'T BE AFRAID.

I've got this.

I've got you. 

I can handle it. 

I know. 

You don't need to try to guess correctly, because I already know. I've always known. 

Don't be afraid; you are worth more...

September 16

September 15

September 14

September 13

Happy 2nd birthday, Sadie! 

September 12: Joy is Found in the Present

I was tired this afternoon, and when I laid down on the couch for a bit, the kids proceeded to put stickers on my "booty." Their idea, of course. Toby said, "Eva, Momma's booty looks so beautiful, doesn't it?" She said "ya."

Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work. 

~C. S. Lewis

Today, I played with my children.


Now, you might look at my days in photos or my life as a whole and think, well, duh. You're a stay-at-home mom. Like, everyday. Of course you play with your kids.


But the truth is, I usually don't. What's more is I don't really like to. Really at all.


A lot of the time I let them play with toys on the floor while I fold the laundry or let them create with the Play-doh at the kitchen table while I do the dishes or let them run around outside while I am busy with something else. I don't really play with them, rather I'm productive alongside them. Or I'm unproductive, checking Facebook or Instagram or the like.

Usually I'm distracted, thinking about all the things I need to do around the house, or I'm plugged into my phone. Usually I'm self-absorbed, thinking about what I want to do or read or work on. But today was different.


Today I watched two episodes of Sesame Street without checking Facebook. Without picking up my phone at all, really. I actually watched it. I learned about words like "prickly" and "soggy." I feel educated.


Then Toby and I played catch with a football. In the house. And he loved it. He went down for his nap asking if we could please please do that again later. And we laughed and ate lunch together and did piggy-back rides and played Play-doh, and not once did I think about all the things I should be doing {although there were many} or what I would rather be doing instead.


And what I found today was that all the distractions and the should do's and the ought to's and the selfish groans {even the silent ones} that emerge from the "broken wanter" that lies deep inside only serve to steal our joy. Joy that is found by being present. In the present. Right were we are at this moment in time.


It's easy to be thankful for where you are if you're not wishing you were somewhere else.


It's easy to be grateful for who you're with if you're not thinking about being with someone else.


It's easy to live in the present if you really take the time to look at it, experience it, and breathe it all in, rather then allowing distraction to steal the very life out from under you.


When I slowed down and actually allowed myself to be there, all there, in that moment with who I was with, doing what I was doing, I found that I actually do enjoy playing with my kids. I enjoy helping them learn, making them laugh. And perhaps, all this time, I've been too preoccupied to notice that.


Maybe surrendering to the Lord is as much about surrendering who you are as it is about surrendering where you are at this very moment it time. You have to lay them both down, simultaneously. And therein lies joy. And peace. And life.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

Romans 12:1 (MSG)

September 11

Toby's first day of preschool!! :) He was good to go until we got to the classroom door, and then they had to pry him off my leg screaming, & take him into the classroom. A traumatic drop-off for all, but they said he calmed down & had a good time. I hope Tuesday is better... 

But he loved our special "lunch date" at Panera afterwards, & he's probably asked a half a dozen times since then when we can do it again. So cute. 

September 10

September 9

Preschool orientation day! Toby FINALLY seems excited about it.

September 8

Eva sat on the potty today...and peed. Who knew she was ready for that???

September 7

That's all I got for today. 

Coffee + church. 

Really, what more is there to Sundays?? 

What you don't see pictured is pizza for lunch (the BEST pizza...), family, kids playing at our house/riding bikes/watching a movie, a family drive, & just a generally good day. 

But I didn't really pick up my phone this afternoon, so you missed all that...

But sometimes that's a good thing. Happy Sabbath to you all!

September 6

September 5

We've been turning on the Gummy Bear video in the mornings when the kids get their vitamins, and clearly, they get really into it...

September 4

September 3

September 2

September 1