10/25/2011

Orion started reading today! It was so exciting! He has definitely been bored with learning letters but you could see him light up once he figured out how to put some sounds together. He only read about 8 words but he did it with little prompting and lit up from ear to ear when he realized what he did! I got all teary eyed.  I am so so thankful to have this time with my children. Every day they amaze me. I am so thankful and blessed to get to experience so many firsts with them.

I can only imagine the things God has planned for these kids. Today Danica, the sweet yet strong willed and outspoken angel, was singing "God is so good"....in Nigerian. Now I would toot my own horn and say look what I taught her, but I didn't teach her this. Orion has sang it a couple times while learning to sing it for VBS months ago but we never attempted to get her to learn or even pay attention when he sang it. It's amazing the things they pick up on when you think they aren't paying any attention.

There is a song out by Casting Crowns called 'Slow Fade'. One of the verses in it says "Oh be careful little feet where you go. Cause it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow." What a task we parents have been assigned! What a privileged yet scary road to walk daily knowing that someone is there watching you all the time. Even when you think they are paying no attention whatsoever, they are watching and learning. They are figuring out how to make decisions and behave and they are learning from how we act and not how we say to act. The poor babies wouldn't have a chance in the world if it were up to me to get us all through. I'm so glad I have Someone guiding me. I only hope I pay attention enough. Father God please make my paths straight!

I just finished crying my eyes out and thanking God for these children. I don't deserve them. I can't believe He trusts me to raise them. They are so precious. It has been such an amazing journey watching them grow. There is still so much left to see. They change and learn daily. I am so excited to see what God has in store for their lives.

I was talking with my Mom about the Purpose Driven Life (by the way still on day 5). It speaks of taking your talents and all the things you are good at and like to do and using them to find your purpose. Well, I like to create things, organize, sing, write, teach, garden, clean, etc etc. I asked "How in the world am I supposed to take all those things and direct them at something?" She replied, "Sounds like all the things that you need to run a household."

So I guess I'm going to take this at face value for the moment and try to focus more on just that one thing running a household. I am constantly trying to go beyond this. Always trying to learn new things and try some new way to make money or do something to make a difference and so forth. Maybe for now I will just try to do well the tasks I've been assigned, work with what you've got kind of thing.

So many of us never see the fruits of our labor in the big picture. I may not see them either. But how many generations was there between Moses and Abraham? How many Mothers raised children only to raise their own children before the training was fulfilled in one person for God to use in the "big picture". Only time will tell.

You Might Be an Artist If...

I battle often with my desire to learn new arts. I got down the braiding as a teen, then basic sewing, some woodworking, scrap booking, jewelry, bow making, laying tile, then off to more complex pattern-less sewing. Now I want to paint. I also have always wanted to do pottery, metal work, major carpentry, basket weaving, masonry & clay. That is just the art part; it doesn't even tap the surface of all the things I would like to learn. What is a girl to do?! I don't just want to DO these things, I want to PERFECT them. I guess I could become a professional student. You know, just go to school on student loans for the rest of my life. I have my retirement already planned out it seems.

Creation is beautiful in almost every form. Taking an empty soup can, wrapping it in pretty paper with pretty cut out shapes & stuffing it full of colored markers and decorative scissors! - WHAT ISN'T AWESOME ABOUT THAT! :)

I was just telling my Mother today that I should probably stop trying to learn to make or craft something new all the time. But now I know for sure I am crazy. I am crazy because I'm an artist! I fit a good number of the descriptions here ---->You Might Be an Artist If...<--- that I believe were just meant to be humorous. Well for me they were reality! I spray painted the cat. Gave the dog a mohawk. Built Barbie's house out of VHS tapes and I have always wondered what was wrong with me that I couldn't pick a favorite color! Give me another 20 years and I'll have 8 tie dyed cats, a schnauzer named Mr. Mo, and a mansion built out of tole painted VHS tapes!

My Father-in-law just got into town for a while & my house is a wreck!!! I don't see how anyone with more than two kids EVER keeps a house clean. I take that back..If I rarely or never did anything I wanted to do for just me then maybe I could keep it half way straight. Does it really matter if its clean?

In my journey on this purpose driven life (I'm only on day 4 a month later) I have to now find purpose to continue doing, without conviction, all the things that I'm "supposed to do". Pick up toys, wash cloths, cook dinner...take a shower; it all seems rather pointless. 

I know this may sound crazy but, this creates a whole new problem for me. Now I feel like I must know WHY we mop. I know, to clean the floors, but WHY must the floors be clean? Why do I wash clothes? You only wore it once. Is it really dirty? And shower? WHY? If we don't stink WHY must it be done often. Its not that I enjoy dirty clothes, floors or people, but I now need to know what eternal purpose this holds. SO OF COURSE.....it must be googled! Just one more thing to do until I can find a reason to not mop! 

September 23, 2011

 

     Why does everyone have to learn for themselves? It would be so nice if lessons were handed down in our genetic makeup like hair color & skin tone. I'm sure each of us would have plenty yet to learn even if that were the case. So often I think, "Mom was so right! Why didn't I listen to her?" I also find myself giving others the same advice she gave me (which of course I had to make sure was right all by myself) and wishing they would just listen! What is this pride we have that we tell ourselves we can find a better way on our own.