Still

When there aren't any fancy words, when winter is back with all of it's furry, there's still grace.  When it's the end of the day, and I still hear the hum of both the washer and the dryer that have been washing clothes since 6:30am, God is still here.

When plans were thwarted due to 15 inches of snow today, still God's goodness is evident.

When I've washed dishes countless times today and yet there's still more to do, and when there's still one more bed to make after washing all the sheets, still I will count and look for God's fingerprints of grace in my life.

Because in the seemingly ordinary and mondane, He's here sanctifying me, molding me into the person He's created me to be, and it's simply beautiful how He uses the cyclical, ladder-climbing-world-looking-down-upon tasks of homemaking to change my heart.

And when I want to scream out the door, "I am sick of winter!", when I can't find one more reason to be genuinely thankful for snow or winter, still God is creator and Master of the universe.

When the husband got up at 4:30 am and spent the next 4-5 hours moving snow, still to be snowed-in because our road is the last to be plowed and our tool truck would not make most of it's stops today, still God is master of our time and we were all blessed with bonus family time.

When the husband finally takes the tool truck to town and only has less than 4 hours left in his work day, still God is truly provider as He gives us one of our better days in tool sales and sends the husband home on time with a bursting cash drawer.

Still God is good, still God is provider, still God is here....

and still I count, adding to a list started 2 weeks ago but not yet posted...
#151. all the sparkles of new snow reflecting the sun
#152. bright blue sky
#153. the way God brings beauty out of ashes
#154. chipping ice off of sidewalks
#155. dry sidewalks to walk on
#156. mud puddles for tots to splash in with...
#157. new rain boots from Uncle Matt and...
#158. new rain pants from Nanna & Poppa
#159. a productive Saturday
#160. a quiet, relaxing Sunday
#161. a little boy 95% potty trained!!!!!!!
#162. extra family time due to being snowed in
#163. an outstanding, nearly personal record breaking 4 hour work day for the husband
#164. the way God seems to look for any excuse to keep His promises and pour out blessing (Mal 3:10)
#165. the way God seems to stretch the minutes we decide to use slowly and intentionally

Whether

Whether the weather be mild or whether the weather be not,

Whether the weather be cold or whether the weather be hot,

We'll weather the weather whatever the weather,

Whether we like it or not.

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Bedtime Stories

*Edited to remove controversial topics*

Before I pulled the plug on naptime for the tots at this house, bedtime was getting a bit challenging for the 3 year olds.  With the transition to big boy/girl beds and with the bedtime difficulties due to naptime, I found myself laying in bed with my kids even after reading stories, talking, singing songs, and praying.....which is totally fine on occasion, but is not how I want my toddlers to learn to sleep in their new beds, with mom at their side 'til their asleep.
One night when I felt like bedtime had taken forever and I really wanted to begin my the-kids-are-finally-sleeping evening routine, I attempted to slink out of Jack's bed.

"No Mamma," he protested. "Lay with me."

"But Jack," I explained, "Mamma needs to take a shower. I stink."

"No, you don't stink," he assured me as he hooked his surprisingly strong little arm through mine, tightening every muscle in order to hold me in bed.

*sigh* I laid with him for awhile longer, watching his eyelids finally begin to droop. I shifted in his bed and started to sneak out.

He half opened his eyes and whispered, "You do stink."

I was just saying that in an attempt to get on with my evening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One morning we were all sorta sleeping in and we heard the tots overhead in the their rooms. One woke up, went and got the other, and the two tip-toed downstairs together.

In the early light, I could see two little blonde heads poke their faces into our room.

"Hi babies," I call. "Come here."

They climb up into our bed together. Kneeling on the end of the bed, Jack puts his arm around his sister and says, "This is my friend, Ava."

Ummm, nice to meet you....?

Sometimes

Sometimes life is an uphill climb.

Sometimes you're not quite sure if you will make it to the top of the mountain.

 

Sometimes you feel like you might be sliding backwards.

Sometimes life seems very out of focus.



And sometimes all you can do is crawl.

Sometimes you wonder if people are looking down on you.

 Sometimes the path in front of you looks a little treacherous.

And each step is a struggle.

But when you get to the point where you can look back, you'll see that there was Someone Bigger with you every step of the way.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord.

They are plans for good and not for disaster,

to give you a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11