Muckity Muck

Every-other Tuesday night I get to be a part of a Bible study with a group of ladies.  I've been able to do it since moving here...and the group dynamics are always changing, which makes it new and unique with each study.  God has used those studies to mold and shape who I am.  It's been a process.  A long, on-going process.

We are currently doing one called Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer.

The study itself is really fantastic.  Truly.  What makes it even more significant for me personally, is the place that God has brought me to before starting this study.  All the details and circumstances that fell into place, in life and ministry, so that He could use this study to so speak to my heart.  Making His voice clear.  Resounding.  Confirming.

The past 12 months have been ones that I will go back to over and over and over in my head and in my heart.  Always remembering how He worked out good.  We walked through some murky waters, knowing that things would settle and clear.  Knowing that sometimes things need to be stirred up and mucky so that they can eventually be clearer.  Better.  And even though you know that...walking through the muck:  Is never very enjoyable.  It's still muck, even if there's purpose in it.  And just when you think it will never settle and clear.  It does.

In the midst of the murky waters, God gave me a verse.  Isaiah 43:19 NLT  "For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."

Through His Word, He confirmed for us what He had spoken to our hearts.  He gave us a tiny glimpse into His plan, and it was enough to settle our hearts, and strengthen our spirit to continue in the stirred-up mire until the time He saw fit to make it clear.  

He cleared it.  And day after day, week after week, I stand in awe as I watch Him move and work in the hearts of people around me...including myself.  I will never know why He saw fit for us to be a part of His plan here, but I am so thankful for His grace and strength that makes it possible.  

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Loved

We moved to Tiny Town nine years ago.  During the first year here, I met four different ladies through preschool.  We would eventually call ourselves The Fab Five.  It's not something we broadcast...unless you count this.  Ha.  

But they really are fab.  I often think about what it is that makes them...and us...work.  I think it may be the low maintenance that is required.  No drama, no backstabbing.  It's simple really, I get to just be me.  And they get to just be them.  Our kids are friends, and even our husbands have become friends.  It's the best.  

I love how God orchestrates life.  

One of the Fab Five is Steph.  I've blogged about their family before.  Two of her four kids have A-T.  You can read about it here.  Bring kleenex.  Her son Tate, who was also a good friend to my Noah, passed away in 2011.  Their daughter Tessa is 12 years old now, and also has A-T.  Tessa and my son Eli, are "special friends"  aka they love each other.  ;)  

I've learned so much about life, by just watching this family.  They love big.  They laugh, and live because they know pain. And suffering.  And loss.  It doesn't stop them.  It motivates them to just keep going...for Tate, for Tessa, for each of them.  They do not live a life filled with moping, or whining...even though they have every right to do both.  Instead, they walk the difficult line of accepting what is, and praying and hoping and doing for what could be.  

I don't even have words to adequately describe the privilege it is to call them friends.  They have changed who we are, and they have shaped how my kids see people.  Noah saw Tate.  Eli sees Tessa.  Not the genetic disease, or the disability, but straight to the heart of who they are.  It is beautiful to watch.  It's almost impossible for me to talk about Tate and Noah in past-tense.  Noah keeps growing, and getting bigger and older, yet he carries that friendship with Tate as a constant companion.  

Noah & Tate

All this to say:  We went as families, to run a race where the proceeds go to benefit research for a cure/progress in treating A-T.  For this group in purple, it's in honor of Tate & Tessa.  They are loved like crazy.  We (as a family) were finally able to join them this year.  And it was so much fun.  So many memories, tucked away in my heart.  It is a gift to do life with these people.

Click on the pic to see EVERYONE.  My blog layout cuts people out.  Rude.

Also, it turns out that if you enter a small enough race, you have a *pretty* good chance of being a winner.  

That's right.  I got 3rd in my age group.  Sound impressive...until I tell you that I ran/walked while pushing Lucy in the jogger stroller.  There may have only been 3 in my age group.  Do I care?  NO WAY!  3rd place baby.

This picture pretty much sums up Lucy and her attitude about early morning running.  And by running, I mean being pushed in a stroller while covered in a blanket.  That did not, however, stop her from complaining that "she was tired" and the "wind in her face bugs her!"  She's lucky I didn't dump her out of the jogger.  Heh.

Eli hitching a ride with Tessa right before the finish line.

 Oh the stories I could write about these two.  Love them both!

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I'm So Tired

We have had a super fun weekend, but I am spent. Done. So there's No way I can wrap it up tonight. But tomorrow I will!

Until then, I'm watching Once Upon a Time, because yes I got hooked on it (thank you Netflix) and I'm not too proud to say I love it. ;).   I like fairy tales. And Ginnifer Goodwin's hair.

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10:32

As I type this from my phone, I'm thinking  to myself that it's before midnight so *technically* I haven't missed a day of posting. 

Tomorrow I will let you in on the fun, but for tonight this is all I got.

• today I had one of those mommy moments where I lost my ever-loving mind because no one in my family was listening or helping. 

• packing and loading kids for any sort of trip is a ridiculous ordeal in our house. 

•and then we get to our destination and all the chaos is forgotten. Just kidding, I still totally remember. But it seems less bad ;)

•our family is in fact too big for a hotel room with two queen beds and too cheap to get anything bigger. Ha. 

• so thankful for friends who make me laugh, and getting to do a mini trip with people I love. 

•did I mention the insanity of all 6 of us in the same room?:). 

•good night 

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You & Me Day

Dear Lucy,

I love your four-year-old self.  I especially love you on Fridays.  You've deemed our Fridays together as "You & Me Day."  Because it's just you and me, kid.


No preschool.  No brothers.  No other kids.  Not even Daddy.


It's lovely.  I hope desperately that your little 4 1/2 year old heart will remember these days.  The trips to Target.  And Starbucks.  And Culver's (which you call Clovers.)  I want desperately to remember them too...thus the blog.

I hope we both remember how I bribed you with the promise of a toy at Target, in order to get you to wear your new pink fuzzy boots, even though "they bug you," because all new shoes bug you.  

And I hope we both remember how it took you f-o-r-e-v-e-r to choose something for your bribe.  And that you came home with a Hello Kitty back-pack/purse thing and Hello Kitty lip gloss.  And Doc McStuffin's band-aids.  


Today you watched me get my hair cut, and then my *favorite stylist of all time* even braided your hair.  And as you looked at your pretty face in her mirror, you smiled so big.  I wish I could bottle that up so that every time you looked at your beautiful self in a mirror it made you smile like that.  Because no matter what, you are always that beautiful to me.

And then we went to the cupcake store.  Where you insisted we eat it there, and not take it home.  Good call, Lu.  

And then I promised you "Mc-N-Donald's" only to drive in the parking lot and leave because it was a total mad-house.  Instead I fed you a quarter pounder and fries from the gas station.  (you're likely going to grow up with a deep love for sugar.  And fries.  I'll own that, it came from me.)

And when we finally get home, and unload the van, it's usually time to get your boys from school.  And our You & Me day is done...until next Friday.

I love Fridays.  And I love you.  May we make Target and Starbucks and Fast Food trips together always.  

Hugs and Kisses (which you'll wipe off),

Mom

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Football Mom

I'm writing this post from my phone. On a blogger app. First time for everything.  You would be so impressed with my one-finger text-typing abilities.  Use Thumbs to text? Pfffft. Not this lady.

Anyways. I spent the night watching my eldest play 7th grade football. Wind and rain and cold were involved. I feel like there should be some sort of badge of honor.

Friends who make misery fun, well those are the ones you cherish.  Also, I brought a ginormous golf umbrella. Or patio table umbrella...it was hard to tell.  

Now I'm sitting on my warm couch watching more football.  And blogging from my phone.  Tis the season.  

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Whiny McWhinerson

I'm in the process of making a list for blog ideas for the next 31 days.  I have four things on it, soooo I'll keep working on that.

If you have any bright ideas, I'd be happy to consider them.  

I've spent a good portion of the day in the book of Jonah.  We are teaching our Bible Clubber's on Jonah for the month of October.  This year we are skipping curriculum in favor of teaching whatever we feel God's leading in regarding the kids we have.  It's cool to see God working.  

I was perusing Pinterest to come up with some extra word search pages and activities.  What I found was just a bunch of crafts about a whale.  And several lessons titled "Jonah Obeyed God."  So I went back and read the story for the 50th time.

I have to say, the point of Jonah is certainly not the whale.  Not by a long shot.  And you have to use a pretty loose term of "obeyed" to describe dear Jonah.  What I DO see, is God's grace on magnificent display in that little book of Jonah.  His grace chased after Jonah.  His grace saved the sailors, physically and spiritually.  His grace in the big fish.  His grace to the Ninevites.  And even his grace to pouty Jonah at the end of the story.  

I'm always annoyed by whiny Jonah.  Probably because I am Jonah.  God gives me *pretty clear* instructions and first chance I get, I dart the opposite direction.  And when He comes after me (which He always does, because: Grace) I like to play the martyr like dear Jonah.  Yet He still saves me.  And yes, there's people I don't want to share the gospel with because I know God is merciful, and yes it's because there are people I don't want Him to be merciful with.  I want justice for them.  And again...He redirects my heart.  Back to the gospel.  Back to mercy and grace and forgiveness that I did not deserve, and certainly didn't earn.  But receive over and over and over again.

But my heart doesn't always automatically go there, to grace.  It very often is automatically a Jonah.  God's grace amazes me.  I can't comprehend it, because it's the exact opposite of my own heart and nature.  

So, long story short:  There will be no whale crafts tonight at our Bible Club ;)

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