Football Season is Over

Feb12

It’s Sunday afternoon and there are no football games on. What ever am I supposed to do with myself? Baseball season doesn’t start yet, and I don’t watch basketball or hockey. I’m in a sports void. It’s only 53 outside: much too chilly for this native Californian. So I’m going to stay inside, maybe watch a movie, finish writing the lesson plan for this week, and maybe even take a nap, although it might be too late for that. Kids are all playing on their ipods (oops, text the youngest to find out if she actually finished that homework that’s due tomorrow–dont’ want to have to yell across the house, you know). I don’t have to make dinner because we had a potluck at church. That’s the policy: church potluck? No making dinner on Sunday evenings. That laundry can wait another day, right? It’s Sunday.

It’s a good day.

16. church potluck lunches

17. warm slippers

18. an unscheduled afternoon

You Care, I Can Tell

Feb11

My kids know whether I really care about something they’re talking about, showing me or doing. If my attention is not completely on them, or if I’m not quite enthusiastic enough with my “I like it!” or “Way to go!” they accuse me of not liking it or not caring about whatever “it” may be.

I have a tendency toward laziness, so if I really don’t have a genuine concern or care for someone, then it’s easy for me not to do something about their need or pain. And I can tend toward grumbling about the things I have to do as a wife and mother to take care of my family: more laundry, another meal, more homework to correct.

But if I genuinely care, then all those things should flow out of that caring.

Our theme at school this year has been “Love in Action.” “And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:21 NIV84).

Helping a friend reroof his house.

Taking care of a friend’s kids when they are delayed getting to school to pick them up.

Taking another friend’s son back up to his high school campus to pick up his clarinet that he left there, because he has a competition the next day and your friend is at a hair appointment with her three other children.

Paying undivided attention to your child when she’s talking about something you might not really care about, but you care about her.

These aren’t huge things (well, reroofing a house is huge). But they are showing love. And those for whom you do it can tell.

13. Warm winters

14. Working with good friends so that an all-day Saturday work day isn’t torturous

15. Dinner cooking in the crockpot

Clinging to this World

Feb10

I’m not gonna lie, I love chocolate. Dove dark is probably my favorite, but dark chocolate M&Ms come in a close second just for the snack factor. And ham. I love ham, too. And artichokes. I won’t pay $2.50 for one here in Florida, but when they get closer to $1, I snatch them up.

And baseball, I love to watch baseball. And horses. Morgan is about to start riding lessons, and I really want to do it, too.

There’s so much that I love in this world. Beautiful sunsets (I’m not much of a sunrise person); cute, fluffy kittens; puppies that chew on everything; lasagna. The list could go on and on.

I remember hoping that Jesus wouldn’t come back before I got married and had children. I really wanted to experience that. How silly. No matter how much I enjoy the things God has given me here, Heaven is going to be so much better than this.

10. chocolate 🙂

11. my dog snoring in the corner

12. movies that make me cry

Sing, Sing, Sing!

Feb9

We’ve been battling incessant colds around here. One after another, family members have fallen victim to a lingering cold that produces a cough that just goes on and on and on.

Last night, I was awakened at 2:30 and could not get back to sleep until after 4:30. I used the time to pray some, but I was mostly just frustrated at my inability to sleep. I knew morning would still come, along with the responsibility of getting kids off to school, making a menu, going grocery shopping. All I really want to do when the kids get out the door is go back to sleep.

The last thing I feel like doing is singing.

But, as I posted several days ago, music is reviving, refreshing, rejuvenating. Maybe it’s just what I need. “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.”

I help lead worship at church this weekend and rehearsal is tonight. Practicing the songs is not only a necessity, but perhaps it is a prescription for revitalization that my body desperately needs this morning.

By faith, I will sing. Right after I take a little nap.

7. A comfortable bed
8. Cheez-Its
9. Flowers

Amazing Grace

Feb8

“He replied, ‘Whether He is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!’” (John 9:25 NIV84).

I was in junior high school when I first began walking with Jesus. Though there are some who have lived hard lives even at such a young age, I was not one of them. So taking the hand of Jesus and giving Him control of my life wasn’t a huge leap for me. It was a simple, yet profound, change in direction. 

But I can still say with the blind man whom Jesus healed, “I was blind, but now I see!” Jesus changed everything. I had a new perspective on my relationships. My future looked different to me. My spiritual eyes had been opened.

There are still times when I choose to close my eyes and act like I’m blind again. I don’t see the needs of my neighbors, my family, my friends. I want to go where I want to go rather than where Jesus wants to lead me.

But Jesus gently tugs my hand again and reminds me that I can see. “The people living in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16, NIV).

Jesus is the Light.

Today I’m thankful for

4. a day off

5. a comfortable house

6. chocolate chip cookies (think I’m gonna have to go make me some)