Clean Floor

Thursday I committed to clean the house from top to bottom! I have a thing about my kitchen floor so I spent an hour scrubbing and mopping it until the glair was blinding. Hungry from all my hard work I decided to have a little hummus and carrots. Evidently my hands were still a bit slippery from all the scrubbing and the Tupperware fell from my hands. At that moment I saw in the recesses of my mind my mom's Tupperware representative saying to me "if you had spent the money on the real Tupperware you would not have hummus all over your floor." The cheepo throwaway Tupperware was broken with all of my homemade hummus shlooping out all over my gleaming floor! (I think I may have used two words that are not actually words in that last sentence.) At that moment I decided to not just wipe up, but to restore the floor back to the former glory it was just in. I finished up around 3:00pm and sat down for a tasty cookie (forget the health food, I needed real comfort). At 3:10pm my daughter walked in from her bus ride home from school. I gave her a big hug in the kitchen by the refrigerator, she grumbled that her stomach hurt and then just as I stood up she barfed all over the floor, fridge, and cupboards.
Many of you who know me well, know that I have always struggled to be a neat and tidy person.
People... this is why!!! Life really does not go well for me in this department.
At 3:20 I really did not give a damn if my floor gleamed. While I was deep in recycled PB and J I had an epiphany... I am NO 50's wife!

A New Song

1I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

3And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Spending some time today asking the Father what new song he wants me to sing. I have a feeling it is still the old song, but I am tired today and need a new ditty. Maybe He will give me a la la or something to add.

In the Vine

I had the amazing opportunity to teach a child dedication class with Jason the other night. I never in a million years would have thought I would get the chance to do this. It was so interesting how these people all said that having children, made them want to be better people, and closer to God. I know Jason had a huge debate on his blog regarding reasons to come to Christ, but I must say it would be an oversight not to put children on the list. Becoming responsible for something so small, and helpless, can many times take our hearts (that God has been working on) break them to the point of utter humility, and readiness for Christ.
But that is really not what I wanted to talk about. In my research for this class I came to the conclusion that God does not have a lot to say about parenting in His word, because He has no need to. If we simply remain in Him as it says in Galatians then we will gain the fruits of the spirit. Put any one of the fruits of the spirit in front of parent and you are doing it right. Like, Patient Parent, Joyful Parent, Gentle Parent and so on. Self-help books are great, but nothing is going to make stellar parents, better than remaining in the Vine. So why is it easier to pick up a Dr. Phil book, than to remain in Christ? I believe because there is nothing the enemy would like more than for us, out of our own will, to fall on our faces when we try to change our own character. We have so many options at hand. Every news show, magazine, and family member has a new fangled approach to becoming a better parent. However, it seems to me, it is back to the basics, back to our first love, the one who created us and our children, the one who paid attention to each detail when making a place for us to live. Is this easy? No having a relationship with an invisible God, within the context of a visible world, is hard! I believe, and have experienced that in His huge hands He holds the solution to every puzzle, He holds the medicine for every illness, He holds the secret ingredient to heal every broken heart. I have a picture of sitting in these big hands, inspecting each thing He holds. He says, "I am enough, I have all you need." And to my amazement He does.

home

I am home and recovering from the late night giggle sessions and the heartache of leaving my girlfriends. It was extremely nice to sit and bask in the sun in February. Stucco homes with tile roofs brought me back to my old childhood home. Even the smell of horses, and the desert bushes all brought back memories. I was struck for the first time with all of my experience of the west, how new it is. Houses are popping up everyday and they are all planned around beautiful, and convenient shopping malls. Sidewalks and well planned landscaping somehow give the feeling of utter safety and security. People thin and well tanned walked or bike along these sidewalks to get their Starbucks coffee and visit with other thin and well tanned individuals.
As we drove home through the city of Columbus I was shaken from my utopian society by the old brick buildings boarded up and left for dead. The dark dreary days only add to my wonder of why God would call a western girl with a shallow need for aesthetic beauty and full sun to come to Columbus. It is not that I hate it here, I don’t. I love my job, the kids I work with, and all of the people I have met. People here have a lack of pretension that is refreshing and real. All of this however, does not change the fact that I feel like a fish out of water at times. Sometimes I think I am ruined and will never feel truly comfortable anywhere I go.
I think about the verse that says it is better to live one day in the courts of the Lord than a thousand elsewhere. I really think I am in His courts when my state of mind is submitted to His will. It is not just the physical place; it is the place in my mind I choose to go. Jonah chose to run from Nineveh; Lot’s wife chose to turn back and pine away for what was, but it was their hearts and minds lacking in trust and obedience that brought on the wrath of God. Our actions always seem to follow our true hearts desire. If I look back my entire physical being may not turn to a pillar of salt but my heart just may become a little harder, and my ears my become deaf to the heart of God, and my mouth may only speak ugly nonsensical words. I must go where and only where my family is called. For now there’s no doubt in my mind that we are for now home.