Busy few days... Andrew Peterson, Gingerbread houses and Welcome Home Elias!

The Behold the Lamb Concert was amazing. I've heard it said that your soul needs to be bathed in music. I don't I have ever experienced that as fully as I did Thursday night. This concert is not a performance but an invitation to worship "the creator of the moon, the author of the faith that can make the mountains move." It was beautiful.
Friday the big kids decorated "gingerbread" house with our homeschool small group. We have done this with friends for that last several years and it has become something they so look forward to. Thanks Tami for putting all these houses together so they would set to decorate.
Tonight, we welcomed home another Ethiopian sweetie and boy is he adorable. It is so much fun to see these boys all come home. This is the first picture of them together but it won't be the last. These families are such a gift to us. I am so thankful that Jude will have these boys to grow up with.

thankful

that His mercies are new every morning.

Including Friday.

My mom, who doesn't read this blog or facebook (only she is thinking about it) stop by to pick up something early Friday morning. ok. it wasn't that early but life over here doesn't get really moving until 9:00.

Anyway, she saw my need for a break. So, she offered to take Jude over to her house for the morning. We are just starting to let the JUJU man go places without us, so Lily went too for moral support. :) He did great and I got so many things done that so needed to be accomplished. You know those things that are really hard to get accomplished with my little helper.

Darrel called a few minutes before my mom was to bring Jude home for the afternoon and said that they were closing the university down for fall break. Usually he works through these kind of breaks, so we don't even have them on the calendar but they used this time to shut down the computer system. YEAH, Darrel had a needed afternoon off.

Now I could have used the time with Darrel home to get more accomplished but instead I spent the afternoon and evening resting and watching Netflix with my family. Good stuff for the soul: laughter and cuddles just what I needed.

Of course, I came back to reality on Saturday and Sunday.

Oh, and today is Monday... but we are starting things off fresh this week.

So what I am trying to say is that I am so thankful for a Heavenly Dad who loves me the same whether I am well behaved or not.

Struggle

yep. that is what is happening in our house this week.

Oscar the grouch shirt isn't quite doing it.

home school= struggling to get back into any sort of rhythm.

baby= power struggle. for some reason he doesn't like to be told no. i know crazy idea.

ministry involvements = too many struggles to count

TIME = struggle to get everything done and still spend QUALITY time with the people Iove.

reminded:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

trying to remember this as i go on with my day.

Questions about Life

Questions I have been considering:

What really is a need?

What does the "Kingdom" really look like?

Where is my treasure?

"Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?"

"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin, Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink, do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor.  Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your  treasure is, there your  heart will be also." 

Luke 12:22-34 NIV

Wow, where has the week gone?

I did not realize my month of October was so crazy and how out of sink I was with the rest of my life.  Even though Darrel did like 12 loads of laundry while I was gone and I arrived home to a cleaner house than I left, things are still piling up around this house.  It is like my brain had to completely rethink how I run this household.  I still feel like I am out of the loop with over 2/3rds of my life. So, if I told you I would do something for you or I have not replied to an email or phone call please try again.  I am not trying to put anyone off but it is like I have never been a mom, wife, teacher, daughter, friend, Jesus follower etc. all at the same time before. I maybe could still blame it on jet lag but I think that window of time has passed.  Anyway, just trying to reacclimate to my life. It will get better and just in time for the holidays.