BLESSED BEYOND EXHAUSTION
Aaah. We survived our first family beach vacation since adding Vivienne to our family. And “survived” is a pretty accurate word. Our little family of five met my parents, brother, and sis-in-law at a secluded beach in Florida for a week of “relaxation.” I had been looking forward to this vacation for months – no responsibilities, reading the stacks of books in my bag while soaking up the sun on the…
The older I get, the more quickly time flies. It seems like just yesterday, Brienne was taking her first steps. But in reality, she’s almost 10 years old. That seems unbelievable to me. Oftentimes, I feel like my life is a nonstop string of busyness. Cleaning, kissing booboos, changing diapers, listening to concerns, cooking, reading stories, giving baths. Sometimes it feels like I don’t have the luxury to be still…
Today I’m feeling defeated. Defeated by the endless laundry. Defeated by the numbers on the scale. Defeated by the little people who live in my house. Defeated by the thought of cooking another meal. I’m worn out. Usually, mornings are rejuvenating to me, signaling the beginning of a fresh new day. A time to forget the failures and disappointments of yesterday and to look forward to a new day with…
Well, we’ve had lots of excitement at the Terrebonne house this week. “Excitement” might be a relative term, though, because what we find interesting may absolutely bore you out of your mind. But hey, we’ll take what we can get around here. First of all, the pediatrician “recommended” (read: commanded) that we wean Vivi to a bottle last weekend because she only weighed 15 pounds at her one year checkup.…
I’m going to attempt to finish my synopsis of the Bible study 7 by Jen Hatmaker with this post, so hang in there. It could get a little scattered and hard to follow as I trudge through the areas of Waste, Spending, and Stress. Here goes… First, the area of Waste. This includes recycling, conservation, gardening, composting, buying local foods. Basically, just taking care of the earth and the environment.…
It’s summer – the time of year that strikes fear and trepidation into the hearts of even the most well-intentioned parents. Summertime means that we have a lot of free time on our hands which apparently must be filled with fun activities so that I won’t have to hear the dreaded “I’m bored” phrase over and over. (Which I’ve already heard. On Day 2 of being home, mind you.) I’ve…
Ok. I think I’m ready to write some more about my Bible study The 7 Experiment. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the areas of Food and Clothing, and how the study has knocked me for a loop. Well, I’ve spent the last couple weeks immersed in Possessions and Media, and to be honest, I’m sort of having a hard time processing these. So I’m warning you now that this…
I recently read a quote that went something like this: “Sometimes our greatest contribution to the kingdom of God is not what we do but who we raise.” Um. Alrighty then. Just so we’re clear that there’s no pressure in the parenting department or anything… This quote reminds me of John and Charles Wesley, the founders of the Methodist Church. Their mother Susanna would sit in the middle of her…
Today is May 15 and time for me to choose my mid-month Scripture for Beth Moore’s Scripture Memory Team. I love Beth so much. Have I mentioned that before? She has a major anointing on her and I’ve learned so much by studying under her. (And by “studying under her,” I mean watching DVDs and completing Bible study homework.) (That actually sounds kind of sad and creepy now that I’ve…
So, I’ve been doing this Bible study that is rocking my world. Do you hear me? It’s turning everything I know on its heels. I haven’t been this disgusted by our wastefulness since I went to Ecuador on a mission trip in June 2010. The Bible study is called “The 7 Experiment” by Jen Hatmaker. It’s a seven-week study that explores seven different areas of wastefulness: food, clothes, possessions, media, waste,…