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Creativity of a child
At dinner last night Winnie ended up with two forks. She exclaimed excitedly, “Now I have two forks to eat with!” and proceeded to double fist mashed potatoes for a few minutes. I sat there mesmerized thinking about how any adult who ended up with two forks would place one to the side and continue to eat with one fork, like any “normal” person should. But Winnie saw opportunity where we see silliness. It made me think, how often does God give us opportunities to be creative for His Kingdom and we dismiss them because they’re too weird, wild, or big? How often to we stick to the safe life…
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Identity
After you’re first saved, the enemy seems content just trying to keep you tied to all the worldly stuff you now desire to give up. It’s easy enough to keep you bound through money, addictions, etc. After you’ve walked with the Lord for a while and are not as tied to worldly things (although it’s a lifelong process of surrender and sanctification) I think the enemy works extra hard to get you to develop identities other than a daughter or son of Christ. For a few years I’ve been walking through a place in which the enemy is trying to get me to place identities of sickness on myself. I…
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Jesus FOMO
We spent the weekend at Lake Erie with some of our friends and their kids. It was wonderful and boisterous and loud and chaotic, all the things any good trip with kids should be. There was a moment when the kids were asleep and we were chatting around the fire that I felt prompted to quietly pray. I did for a few moments and then joined back in the conversation, but deep down wished that I could continue praying. The next morning I took some quiet time by myself and as I was pondering the night before I heard the Lord speak, “Your fear of missing out on me has…
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The waters
We made it to Ohio’s ocean this past weekend and it did not disappoint. I’m not sure what it is about being near water that calms the soul but I’m so glad it does. I’m glad God created numerous waters when he made the earth, and put this innate desire within us to go there and be refreshed It’s no wonder that the Bible speaks so much about the Living Water the Lord has for us. If even earthly water refreshed our souls, how much more will the heavenly springs within us keep our bones from drying out. On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said…
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An October swim
Today at the count of 3,2,1 from my oldest son I plunged into the cold October waters of Lake Erie. It was a summer like day and the waters refreshed and invigorated my soul. I sat there on the shore and watched the children frolic with joy in that chilly water for close to an hour. I told myself, “Before we go I’m going in”. At some point, despite the absurdity and coldness and knowing I would have to take a shower for a two second plunge into the water I got up and jumped in. Because truly how many times can you say you swam in Lake Erie in…
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“Can I?”
The questions never ending The “Can I’s?” often exhausting My instinct is “No” “Never” “Of course not” “You don’t know how” But instead I back up compose myself and say, “Sure, go ahead and try” As I watch and go about my tasks I am overwhelmed at the beauty of an Ordinary moment turned extraordinary- A daughter learning how to peel carrots And she did it with nary a scratch (Blogtober day 5)
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I “get to”
I’ve spent the morning cleaning the same things I spent yesterday morning cleaning. Life is a cycle of cleaning, picking up, cooking and cleaning again and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Often I forget what a privilege it is to live the life I do, and I start to become a complainer. But when I step back and evaluate the home life we’ve created and I get to tend, I know there’s really nowhere else I would rather be. I get to watch my kids be best friends, and too often each other’s worse enemies. I get to hug them when they’re hurt, either physically or emotionally. We…
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October fifth
I sit at the dining room table, strewn with 4 year old’s paintings and schoolbooks and, weirdly enough, an old set of silver flatware that my kids keep looking at. My husband sits across from me with the baby on his lap zooming with our students. We have been highly adaptable in the past week, managing the school even amidst sickness. If it wasn’t already, it’s really clear to us now that the Lord is in charge of this school. Even when we’re sick and not as available, God is working through these women. He’s forming and teaching them, and they are already doing the work of a writer, one…
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Holy Innovation
Recently, God helped me to see two places in my life in which things were not running smoothly and causing more stress than they should. Both were laundry related, and I continue to be amazed that God cares about all the things in my life, even the amount of smelly laundry we make. I’ve tried lots of different ways that I’ve seen other moms talk about making laundry easier, but it wasn’t until God creatively revealed what works for me that I saw fruit. God inspired me with the two simplest solutions. The first was that I get a different colored towel for each kid (ridiculously simple, right? It has…
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Logic or Jesus?
The funny thing about anxiety is that it evades logic, right? No matter how many times you go over the rationality of said thing happening (always nill to zero, right?) your brain will still throw you for a loop so hard you have to get up off the couch and run outside until the panic subsides. I KNOW that it’s silly to worry about this or that. I can look at the evidence and know that this scenario is extremely unlikely to happen to me, yet at times the anxiety still invades and panic present. God has been showing me that I can’t just look at the rational side of…
