Q:How was the Dells?
A:New friends, fellowship, new believers, growing believers, woods, water-slides, games, ticks, God's provision, God showing up, tons of great memories.....let's do it again!
Q: Are you on sabbatical now?
A: No. We leave today for CO for 2 weeks after being "home" for less than 48 hours. Amazingly, I'm okay with this. I'm looking forward to the great fellowship to be had...err, exceptional training ahead. :) We will officially start our sabbatical Aug. 15th.
Q: Does Hubby still have Jury Duty this fall?
A: NO! Praise God!
Q: What are you looking forward to in you sabbatical?
A: Focusing more time on God, each other, our kids and in general being refreshed. I have a picture in my mind from a recent QT - it was a gentle rain washing all the dirt and grime away leaving a world of bright green newness. I think God wants to get to that dirt that I've been too busy to deal with for awhile. Thanks for praying for me in this!
You are Boy-Trapped if: You have little plastic army guys guarding your fireplace. Your decorative pillows are more often part of a fort than ambiance. There is always a little boy voice on the other side of the bathroom door. Every time you settle down to read your Bible there is a boy in your lap. Every surface in your house is covered in lego fortresses...and you wouldn't have it any other way!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
What I am to be About
Recently as we returned home from church (which btw this church has been amazing, welcoming us, providing for us cribs, toys and trikes, not to mention great worship and teaching for our whole family - thank you, Lord) anyways, as soon as we pulled in from church hubby turned to me and told me to pack a lunch and don't come back until dinner. I protested a bit (when will I learn to just let him lead?) that I was going to have study time the next day, but he convinced me that I need this extended time alone with God in addition to my normal study time. He was right of course, my soul was so thirsty to just sit and read and be quiet and listen. All things I don't usually do during my half-day a week when I prep my BS and meet with women. During this extended TAWG I read another chapter from "Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership", by Ruth Barton, and gleaned a few choice quotes.
"(we) need to be very clear about what we are to be about in any given moment and say no to everything else." (p.182) Barton notes that when we try and take on too much we are trying to be like God who is unlimited in His capacity. It always hurts a bit to have your pride pointed out so blatantly. The outcome, she explains, is that we become worn out and compromise our relationships with each other and God and are not as effective as we could be at anything (p.182).
Journaling about this idea, I made a list of my various roles in this life and how those play out in my time. What I came up with is nothing brilliantly new but desperately needed to be dusted off and examined in my heart. I am a child of God, a wife, a mom, a minister, a writer. The amount of time and attention these roles take are never evenly distributed (and probably never will be) and the lines are often blurred.
As I examined them I felt partly overwhelmed, partly confused by the question - "what am I to be about?" I left that processing time with two clear conclusions - my quiet times had been greatly lacking lately and that needed to change. Until that happened nothing else was going to fall into proper place. Secondly, having a 2-yr-old is at times exhausting (except when they are sleeping!) I need to be okay with the limits this plays on my other roles and recognize the value in just being about being a mom of a toddler (and his brothers of course!).
These aren't new thoughts, but as I left my time of reflection I did feel refreshed adn strengthed...and a little bit more confident what I am to be about...at least in this age and stage.
"(we) need to be very clear about what we are to be about in any given moment and say no to everything else." (p.182) Barton notes that when we try and take on too much we are trying to be like God who is unlimited in His capacity. It always hurts a bit to have your pride pointed out so blatantly. The outcome, she explains, is that we become worn out and compromise our relationships with each other and God and are not as effective as we could be at anything (p.182).
Journaling about this idea, I made a list of my various roles in this life and how those play out in my time. What I came up with is nothing brilliantly new but desperately needed to be dusted off and examined in my heart. I am a child of God, a wife, a mom, a minister, a writer. The amount of time and attention these roles take are never evenly distributed (and probably never will be) and the lines are often blurred.
As I examined them I felt partly overwhelmed, partly confused by the question - "what am I to be about?" I left that processing time with two clear conclusions - my quiet times had been greatly lacking lately and that needed to change. Until that happened nothing else was going to fall into proper place. Secondly, having a 2-yr-old is at times exhausting (except when they are sleeping!) I need to be okay with the limits this plays on my other roles and recognize the value in just being about being a mom of a toddler (and his brothers of course!).
These aren't new thoughts, but as I left my time of reflection I did feel refreshed adn strengthed...and a little bit more confident what I am to be about...at least in this age and stage.
Family, Friends and Making Memories
When we returned to our little house in the woods on Thursday after a week of vacation I remember thinking "it will feel good to sleep in our own bed." That is when I realized that our little house has begun to feel like home no matter how temporary.
We had a great visit with hubby's side of the family enjoying time with everyone together, celebrating birthdays and our nephew's HS graduation. The weather was perfect and the time sweet. Then we headed up to another little cabin in the woods, this one sitting right on Clark lake for a few days RnR. We enjoyed great fellowship with old friends in the area and just exploring and playing in Door County. My only regret is that I didn't locate our camera until we returned; there it lay in the kitchen drawer! The mental pictures of sunsets on the lake, little boy legs dangling from trees and tire swings and collapsing in sleep heaps at the end of long summer days of fun will have to do. I wish I could make an online album from my brain!
I do, however, have pictures from our very fun reunion with friends during Rythm and Booms (Madison's firework celebration) that we enjoyed two nights ago! I will post those soon!
Upon our return I felt mixed emotions that we have only 3 short weeks left here in the Dells. There is still so much more I want to do and have to do before we leave. There is that house full of Turkish women just up the road - I really need to make some brownies and introduce myself. There are two weeks of swim lessons starting today, t-ball, lots of ministry events, two precious women I mentor, the list goes on and on.
Guide my steps, Father, show me each day what I am to "be about" and what I am to say "no" to.
More on that later...
We had a great visit with hubby's side of the family enjoying time with everyone together, celebrating birthdays and our nephew's HS graduation. The weather was perfect and the time sweet. Then we headed up to another little cabin in the woods, this one sitting right on Clark lake for a few days RnR. We enjoyed great fellowship with old friends in the area and just exploring and playing in Door County. My only regret is that I didn't locate our camera until we returned; there it lay in the kitchen drawer! The mental pictures of sunsets on the lake, little boy legs dangling from trees and tire swings and collapsing in sleep heaps at the end of long summer days of fun will have to do. I wish I could make an online album from my brain!
I do, however, have pictures from our very fun reunion with friends during Rythm and Booms (Madison's firework celebration) that we enjoyed two nights ago! I will post those soon!
Upon our return I felt mixed emotions that we have only 3 short weeks left here in the Dells. There is still so much more I want to do and have to do before we leave. There is that house full of Turkish women just up the road - I really need to make some brownies and introduce myself. There are two weeks of swim lessons starting today, t-ball, lots of ministry events, two precious women I mentor, the list goes on and on.
Guide my steps, Father, show me each day what I am to "be about" and what I am to say "no" to.
More on that later...
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