Snow day!

It's only noon and I am guessing we already have about 4 inches of snow. Of course we were outside as soon as breakfast was over and are now exhausted and ready for a naps.
Part of being worn out comes from just getting ready!



The kids seem to have a blast. Lydia is getting over a cold so we only kept her out of a little while! Being pulled on the sled by daddy was the best part!






















Lydia decided to take a breather in her rocking chair. Walking around in that snowsuit is pretty hard. Micah was starting to get cold, we need to get him some better snow pants!

But to tell you the truth, the best part of playing in the snow was when my parents came over. Lydia went to bed and Micah wanted to come inside. So once his movie was playing and he had a snack, we (my parents, Ryan and I) went outside to have a gigantic snowball fight and a sled race! It was great. We don't have much opportunity just to play sometimes. It was good to just enjoy one of God's creations!

Hope every is have a great snow day!

If I am honest with myself...

Of all the verses in the Old and New Testaments, my greatest struggle is with this one:

She looks well to the ways of her
household
and does not eat the bread of
idleness.
Proverbs 31:27

General information:
Being a stay at home mom means I am called too and consumed by certain duties: watching my children (feeding, cleaning, changing, protecting, etc.) , cleaning the house (vacuuming, dusting, sterilizing (needed often), and straightening up), doing laundry (7-8 loads a week), cooking meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), paying bills, and grocery shopping. To be completely honest I delight in most of these things, especially grocery shopping. Folding laundry is probably at the bottom of the list, but nonetheless, I gave up a long time ago resenting these duties. So for the most part, if you walk into my home, you would say that I "look well to the ways of [my] household." Generally in the morning I wake up early to have time with God before my family is awake. This time prepares me for the day I believe by setting my thoughts on God and seeking His grace and mercy for the day.

My problem:
When my quiet time is finished, all of my jobs at home are completed and my children are asleep, I struggle with idleness. I would love to say that I take the two or three hours I have each day during nap time and fill them with encouragement to women of my church, reading books by authors who spur me on towards Christ, or in hours of prayer... but for the most part, I haven't. In most cases, I can't say where the time goes. Maybe in reading blogs of people I don't know, to find out what they think about all kinds of things that don't matter really, or looking at pictures and statuses on facebook of people that I don't really keep in contact with and which only leads to me judging them (which thanks to our James study that has been an area growth for me, but still much needed prayer), or searching for random stuff online, or who knows what (I'm just being completely honest here). Before I know it, the time is gone and it's time to start dinner. This is not always the case, but in reality, it shouldn't be this way at all.

Ryan came home the other night and asked how I was doing. I told him that I was doing alright but that I was struggling with idleness. He sort of looked at me with confusion. I explained that I didn't mean in regards to caring for him, the children, or the house, but as it pertained to my free time. Rest is good (Sweet is the sleep of a laborer Ecclesiatstes 5:12a), taking a break is fine, but what am I filling that time with.... To tell the truth: it is my fleshly desire to be mindlessly entertained.

The Solution:
Fear the LORD. The Proverbs 31 woman sets a high bar. She is not idle because she looks well to the ways of her household, yes.... but most importantly because she fears the LORD. And for that reason alone is why she should be praised.

For your entertainment:
So this video reminds me of my fleshly desires and how ridiculous they must look sometimes! Enjoy!

* As a side note:
I DO think there are benefits to facebook and blogs. I have been able to contact many lost friends through facebook and I am often encouraged towards Christ in what I read in blogs... so don't worry, I haven't gone off the deep end. Just being more disciplined as to what I read and how I spend my time.

I'm glad God is Soverign

Micah has been sick for about the last 17 hours. About midnight we woke up to him crying our names. To my unfortunate surprise, he has thrown up all over his bed. He went to bed feeling like his usual self at 8:00, but apparently something was already lurking inside. It was a rough night. Each time he would fall back asleep we were up within the half hour back in the bathroom. I think mommy, Micah, and daddy slept a total of 2 hours.

He has been pretty pitiful today. The stomach bug has continued, but thankfully he has finally found rest now (going on 2 hours now). But all of this got me thinking. Micah's sweet, innocent, pitiful-feeling self, believes that his mommy and daddy have everything under control and all he has to do is call our name and we will be there; however, as I am holding his head each time he gets sick... I feel helpless, knowing there is nothing I can do to heal him.

So, in the midst of Micah sickness it has made be reflect on how much I should rejoice in the God who is all-knowing and sovereignly in control of all things. When I plead out in my pain, he does not feel helpless; rather, He hears my cries and he speaks to me through His word, "fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10)

If Micah can cry to his mommy who is fallible, untrustworthy, impatient and lacking power to change his circumstances, how much more should I cry out to a God who is perfect, steadfast, constant, and all powerful.

He's awake... off to watch 101 Dalmatians! (again!)

He's home! Things went fine while he was gone, but I don't want to be the leader of my family. I want to be the helper. I am grateful to have my partner back. It was refreshing to me to miss him so much. I am grateful to God for his provision of patiences and mercy these past 12 days. He sustained me and I praise Him for it.

Thoughts for the New Year

My thoughts (not resolutions) for the New Year :

(1) Christianity is state of being, not just doing

(2) Often I allow my emotions to tell me what truths to believe, but thanks to the book of Jonah, I have learned that truth (absolute truth set fourth by the Bible) must dictate my emotions.
so...
This means I have to know the truth of God's Word. Most people make the resolution to read the whole bible in one year or 6 months or 90 days. But for me... I'm just going to tackle the New Testament. There are 27 books in the New Testament with a total of 246 chapters. There are 365 days this year. If you take out the 104 weekend days, that leaves you with 261 week days. So, I'm going to take my time and read one chapter out of the New Testament every week day this year. Someday I might read the whole bible in a year, but for now, I want to take my time and really absorb what each word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, and chapter is saying! I'm excited about spending this time with God.


Happy New Year to Everyone!