So much to think about

It has been a while since my last post because I have been doing a lot of thinking, praying, and reading.

Thinking about brokenness, sin, loss, pain and how it affects us all. None are exempt.

Praying for some dear people close to me who are walking through a deep valley. Praying for wisdom, peace, unity and that they would see God in this valley of theirs.

And I wish I could say that I have been reading the Bible only. I have been reading it some and some other books, too. It is amazing how I can get lost in a novel. Forgetting how hard life is. From the Bible, I have been reading about the life of the church (from our sunday school class), and from the life of Job. Some not-so-small topics. On the topic of Job...I have read most of the book (I have to admit I skipped some of the middle) and there are some amazing life lessions from our friend Job. His was not an easy life. Now, I am no Bible scholar but I do have some observations from Job's life. I am especially interested in God's interaction with Job. I find it interesting that God allowed satan to test him in the first place but beyond that God allowed some pretty major pain in Job's life! It makes me thing about God's hand in our lives. In Job's case God allowed the losses, and in other stories from the Bible God causes bad things to happen. So, God allows, and God causes...do I believe that for every part of life? YES! I do believe that God certainly KNOWS. He knows my circumstances, my impatience, my grieving over broken relationships, He Knows and He cares. Oh, that sounds so trite! Trite but true.

I love what he says at the end of the book. Keep in mind that this is before God restores the things that Job lost, Job says (paraphrase) my ears had heard of you, now my eyes see you. Wow. I have a word picture in my head of Job (or me, or you) seeing life, his kids, his wife, his cows and land and knowing that God was there and loved him. NOW, after he has lost all those things HE SEES GOD! I think there is something there for us! Do we see God in our kid's disobedience? in our inability to stay calm when the kids are driving me crazy(those are my examples) , do we see his desire for us to be like him, do we see his hand in our circumstances? The good and the bad or do we just hear about him as though he is "over there".

Ok, nothing profound people, just me thinking through my theology (I say that loosely) of pain and loss.

He's a big boy now

Lest all of you avid readers (all two of you! - that's you Katie and Kellie!) think Caleb will go to Kindergarten wearing pull-ups...I thought I'd update you! He is really amazing. Little did we know that it would take all of a week to get him to this point. He goes on the potty pretty much all the time now. He still has a wet pull-up in the am and after naps but wow! I am amazed at his speed at getting this. Justin reminded me that we probably could have done the "say good by to diapers" a year ago and gotten similar results. His point was it was just a matter of biting the bullet and enduring a few days of accidents and he's get it. I'll log that one away for the next one. My favorite part of all of this is the scream from the bathroom after he poops, it goes like this:
"MOOOOMMM, I went poo-pooo on the toilet!!!" I like that I don't have to cheer like a junior higher anymore. He generally accepts my "way to go, Buddy!". Ok, I would love to put Potty Training as a topic of my blog on the shelf and move on to bigger and more important topics. Give me a day or two and I'll think of some...:)

What do you do with a messy room?

I am sure that my Mom is looking down and laughing at me. I had one of the messiest rooms as a kid. My brother - total neat freak - he'd spend hours organizing. Me, I would try, I would really try but in the end I could never quite get it all done. Now my girls, my girls are well, messy. The worst part is THERE ARE TWO OF THEM! The positions have switched. I am the frustrated mom, the girls are just that - girls, still learning, little, impressionable. I have officially become MY mom. I have begun ranting like she did. I am sure it really helps the situation! In fact I just told them that I was going to get a box and put all their stuff in in. I don't want to do that!!! Like I want more to do! So, ladies, what do I do? Put up with it? Discipline them for it? Take away their stuff? Unfortunately, I think the answer requires LOTS of work. I think I need to teach them how to be neat. I am not neat! How do I teach them something that I have not learned? I guess we'll learn together. Yipee.

Dieting Schmieting

Ok, The minute I say the word - DIET - I swear visions of puppy dog tails (these amazing brown sugar rolls at a local coffee shop), chocolate brownie sundae's, and fettuchini alfredo pop into my head. I would love to lose weight - who wouldn't right? But seriously, I know as the years go by it will get harder and harder so I have to start now. Now, where to start? I think if I could grocery shop for healthy food and never go out it may work but alas I must venture out into the world of pumkin spice latte's and DQ blizzards at least once EVERY DAY! Yes, many times it is two or three times a day I drive by my favorite haunts and muster up the will-power to not stop. Justin says that you have to fight desire with desire. Ok, I do desire to not look the way I look. I do desire to not be paralyzed by urges for carbs. The hardest part is the self-discipline it requires day after day. I know that it would take me a year at least to reach my ultimate goals. Does denying myself from foods I not only love but crave, for a year or more sound like something nice to you!? Any advice or word of encouragement welcome.

Ok, I admit it, I am a whimp

Does this look like the face of a dog who would cause trouble? Well, she (our 6 year old shepherd Sydney) found the mail lady in our yard this week so she greeted her! Ok, she barked and scared her soooooo, we have had a representative from our local post office and from Animal Control at our house this week. I feel like one of our kids was sent to the principal's office. We have some fines and we'll hear in a week or so if she is a "dangerous" dog. Ah, well.

DISCLAIMER : If you are at all squeemish about the toilet or what should go in it - do not read the following!

I have been potty training in earnest for all of two days and I want to throw in the towel already. I think he has gone in his pants 75% of the time!! He has had seasons where he has pooped on the toilet for days at a time but today he did it in his pants - twice! Make no mistake - I know that this is nothing! There are moms (and dad's) out there who have potty trained far more kids than I have - even two or three at a time! So, don't feel sorry for me...just pray for my patience with him and that I'd stick with it. I write this in hopes that I can look back weeks (sad to say it will probably be months) from now and be thankful that he is done with this training. I wish you were here Mom to tell me that training one is easy!

Nothing else new and/or exciting to report.

Caleb's first day of school

Yesterday I went on a great bike ride with a friend and we discussed living life victoriously rather than just enduring. I asked her to pray that I would receive the situations and circumstances in life as good. That I would welcome them as a means for God to teach me about Himself. Soooo, when I woke up this morning to a puking (excuse my bluntness) little boy I really wondered what God was thinking! But, all that to say that while he was resting and sick I was so productive and loved the silence in the house! God used Caleb's flu to give me a bit of rest.