Fireproof

After a busier-than-usual week, caring for two baby girls with colds, hosting a baby shower, hosting church cell-group, squeezing in a mid-week birthday sleepover, attending a Kiwanis banquet, watching a presidential debate, and keeping an eye on the bailout situation, I have plenty of material to draw from and blog about! It's hard to even sort out the many thoughts swirling through my mind as I finally get a chance to sit down and take a deep breath today.

Even with the busy week that we had, my husband and I managed to sneak off to a matinee on Friday. I wanted to make sure we saw Fireproof on the weekend it premiered, since that's the weekend that counts most when trying to make a statement to Hollywood. And, wow! It was awesome! I knew it was about a couple who were having difficulties in their marriage, so I hoped it didn't oversimplify the solutions like some Christian movies tend to do. They did a beautiful job of showing the complexity of relationships and the hard work it takes to repair years of neglect in a marriage. There are also parent to adult child relationship dimensions involved, as well as a great example of a friendship/mentorship. It also shows the purposeful self-discipline it takes to follow God's ways. The picture was very well made, Kirk Cameron was wonderful, and the comic relief was real-life, laugh out loud funny. Please support this great Christian production and go see it! Just don't forget to bring your tissues.

Our Bible History/Western Civ books for next week...

Austin has finished reading and studying Genesis (using the Bible and Omnibus I) and is far enough into Exodus now for us to do some fun books with the younger ones. I'm really looking forward to moving into Exodus and bringing in some Egypt study. We will probably take the next few weeks to work on Ancient Egypt... I'm excited! Now to find a source that will teach me how to pronounce Egyptian words and names...

Congratulations!

Read Glenn Beck's commentary on AIG bailout... good comic relief!

hhttp://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/15314/

Pictures!

I took the kiddos outside to get a few pics. Getting the mums for the front porch got me in the mood, I guess. I took the two with the mums. Sydney took the other ones a little later that day. I love her creativity! She has discovered a new hobby, and takes pictures just about every day now. She's even put a sign on her bedroom door reading "Posey's Photography Studio". She set up her bedroom like a studio, with backdrops and everything. It's so fun to see her ideas and artistic style. And aren't my sweeties just so cute?!!!

All-of-a-Kind Family

We finished the first book in Sydney Taylor's series for the second time. We had read the first couple books in the series years ago, and were ready to go back to the turn of the century again. This is a great book about a Jewish family living in New York City. We loved getting a peak into a lifestyle so full of tradition and love. Those are some of our favorite things! This book holds the attention of the young ones and the older kids. It's a hit with everyone here. I recommend this wonderful series to everyone!

Poor little baby!

There are those times when unexpected little hiccups take over normal life for a while. The last 10 days has been one of those times for me. In addition to several spur-of-the-moment extra things that popped up and needed any free moment I could afford, the baby decided to go on a nursing strike. I won't go into the details of what all that entails, but trust me, if you haven't ever experienced it, it's hard to relate to. It is very different from weaning, and definitely a trying time. Tessa and I have adjusted, and settled into a routine that seems to be our new normal. Phew! It was not easy, but after jumping through some time-consuming hoops and experiencing an emotional (for both of us) roller coaster, we have returned to normal life again.

With all the drama that was going on through the crazy days of the "strike" that was accompanied by about 10 other out of the ordinary interruptions, I was determined to stay as much on our school schedule as possible. I'm very proud of the kids for keeping their responsibilities up. And I'm happy that I could keep up reasonably well with the normal schedule, considering how lax I have been in past years when life's curve balls came our way. I don't fault myself for being able to keep a relaxed schedule at other times. It worked for us. The kids have always tested well, read a lot, and kept busy with fairly educational activities. I've never apologized for not being consumed by keeping up with a rigid routine. But, as I've said in past posts, keeping a good schedule this semester is important to me. It's a grand task that we've taken on. It is something we are meant to do this year. Who knows what future years hold for us, in our educational evolution. But for now, we are to be faithful in what God has for us to do this semester. Thank you, Lord, for the grace that You send my way through the little difficulties that life presents. And yes, even though it seemed earth-shaking at the moment, I am thankful that my trials as of late have been very small ones. I am truly blessed of God!

Longing for Eden

When I'm on vacation, after a while, I long for home. When I've been home for a while, I long for a vacation. Why is it that we always want what we don't have?

I have always thought of myself as an idealist. My expectations are so high, and I hold strongly to a picture in my head of what kind of wife and mother I want to be and what I want for my children. But in our studies last week, we read about the longing within God's children to return to Eden. Since He created us for Eden, we have been longing for the perfect beauty and communion with our Creator since the fall.

In the craziness of a vacation, I searched out a mothers' nursing station at the amusement park this past weekend. With kids screaming and music blasting I reached the country porch of the "baby depot" area in the park. The pretty wreath on the door of the little log cabin was a preview of the peace and serenity I would find inside. Once I stepped in, the noisy sounds of the rides and people faded as I heard the sweet calming music playing in the room. It was decorated with antique and classic toys, classic children's picture books, and wicker and wood furniture, mostly rocking chairs. There wasn't another soul in sight. There was just peace and quiet and a beautiful atmosphere. It was like I had stepped from one world into another. For the solitude-loving, atmosphere-craving person that I am this was a very welcoming contrast to the action-packed amusement park. The hills and heat from outside made sitting in a rocking chair in an air conditioned room a respite for my tired feet and overheated body. And now to top it all off, I got to spend some quiet moments focused on my babbling and cooing little dumpling, Tessa. It's so much easier to appreciate those sweet blue eyes and dimpled smile away from the hectic crowd. I had found an Eden in the middle of a theme park. I suppose to some, my kids in particular, the rides and loud music would be Eden. But this oasis of peacefulness and quiet was a haven to me. It made me long for my quiet place at home; it made me long for beauty and calm; it made me long to be engulfed in a heavenly peace.

I will continue to try to create spaces in my life that are filled with lovely things. I will continue to "create" my own type of Eden. I will try to seek God in quiet moments, play beautiful music, read inspiring books, and make my home a haven. I will keep my high ideals and strive for the perfect homeschooling day, the perfect reaction to every sibling squabble, the perfect words to say when those teachable moments arise, the perfect smiles for my husband, the perfectly clean and ordered home, the perfect cooking and baking of healthy life-giving foods, etc. These are ideals, not reality. But now I understand why my ideals are so high, and not necessarily realistic. My ideals should be very high! The Creator of the universe has placed within me a longing for perfect communion and beauty!

I fail again and again. I fall so short. I sometimes find myself frustrated at my reactions to the children's bickering. Many days I forget to thank my husband for the hard work he does to provide for us. I don't bake my own bread and don't always make our meals from scratch. I understand so well what Paul said in Romans...

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:15-25)

I find myself struggling the way that all men have struggled and will until the Lord returns. I long for Eden. I strive toward high ideals. I fail, but do not lose hope. I am thankful that through my Lord and His Spirit, I am rescued from failure. I remain an idealist and keep my longings close. And I allow His grace to cover my imperfections. Thanks be to God for His shed blood that provides the redemption and mercy I need to be the wife and mother He has made me to long to be. Thank you, God, for placing within me a longing to be with You and like You!