Spiritual Leadership

A little honesty for you this Sunday.  

I struggle with being able to "do it all" every day.  I have days where I feel successful and other days that I feel I'm a complete failure.

This article by Kate Tietje really resonated with me.  One of the areas I feel inordinately inadequate is as a spiritual leader in my home.  My husband is so good about talking with the kids before bed at night and I know that's where a lot of their spiritual education is coming from, but I'm the one that's home with them all day and I should be providing more guidance.  

We've been really inconsistent this summer about getting to church on Sundays.  Even the kids noticed.  A few weeks ago my 5 year old, Ephraim, said "Mommy, I want to go to church more so I can learn more about God!".  Humbling.  There is no dragging these kids to church...they want to go.  It's their parents who have been lazy and inattentive.

Dave took the kids to church on his own last week while I stayed home with 2 sick little ones.  This weekend, he is working, so I took all of them myself.  

Our church offers communion every week and when the time comes, you take whatever time you need and consume the cracker piece and small cup of juice at your own pace.  
I leaned over to Ephraim on my left and said "Be careful not to spill" and he replies "I know.  I know what this is for.  This is for his body and this one is for his blood".  I'm humbled.  
Then I looked to my right, and see my 3 older kids holding their sacrament items, heads bowed or eyes closed in diligent prayer.   Prayers initiated on their own.  I am again mightily humbled.  

Source

You see, no matter my inadequacies, God can take all that I have and make it into something valuable and eternal. 

It brings to mind this verse:  
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" Ephesians 3:20 NIV

Easter Sunday - new beginnings

Today was a wonderful day.  Our temperature made it up to 40 degrees, which is great for this time of year here in Alaska.

Little man will be 5 on Saturday!!

I bought some tulips for my only Easter themed decoration.  They make me happy and the kids have been so excited to watch them bloom that I think I need to do this more often.  There is nothing prettier than fresh flowers.

  

Lydia is getting so big.  She'll be two in May.  I was really happy to get a sweet photo of her this morning.

She rarely stands still so this is what I usually get

 

 After our Resurrection Sunday service, we attended the baptismal service for Elsa and Isaac and a few other believers.  

Dave and I felt blessed to watch these beautiful children make a public declaration of their faith in Jesus Christ.

They are so happy to have done it. Best quote of the day was from Isaac "I've been praying a lot and it's kinda like it changed my life"  Sweet words from a precious 7 year old.

 After watching his little sister and brother be baptized, Adin decided being publicly baptized wasn't as scary as he thought it might be and he wants to take this step himself the next available opportunity.  I love how he never feels a need to conform to others' expectations.

I hope you all had a blessed Easter celebrating our Lord's Resurrection. 

Good Friday

We've all been struggling with colds and bad coughing around here and I've just been too lazy and tired to get anything significant accomplished.  I have plans for the spring and summer, oh yes I do, but for right now...I'm just surviving.

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Today is Good Friday.  The kids and I are going to be in town running some errands and then attending a celebration lunch with a sweet friend who has her last radiation treatment today.

I wish I had something deep, educational and heartrending to share like Missy at It's Almost Naptime.  But since I'm not so eloquent, I'll link her post here.  Her idea of a Good Friday brunch is beautiful and I think I will start that next year with some girlfriends and their kids.  I would love to devote more energy to this special day to prepare our hearts and minds for Resurrection Sunday.

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I still have to decide what we're having for Easter dinner.  I'm uninspired, but I'm sure the kids and I will come up with a delicious menu.

 On Sunday, we'll be going to church and then later in the afternoon Elsa and Isaac are to be baptized.  Dave and I are so pleased.  Elsa brought it up first and Isaac said he wanted to do it as well.  Our church just happened to be holding it on Resurrection Sunday.  It is a fitting day for such an occasion and it will be a blessing to witness their baptisms.

We'll likely cap off Sunday with the final installment of The Bible.    We've been touched and awed so many times, especially watching Jesus' birth and ministry.  It's been fun to listen to the kids fill in details they know that aren't touched on in the mini-series.  They absorb so much more than what we think they do.  If you aren't watching The Bible yet, it is worth your time.

A Valentine's Candy Bar

I'm not a huge Valentine's Day fan.  Though I love the colors and the focus on Love, the whole "holiday" feels like such a manufactured celebration, designed to sell cards and flowers.  It seems the men in our lives are supposed to become Don Juan, while for all those that are single, it's another day that reminds them of what they don't have.

My pessimism aside, I still bought my husband a mushy card and present. For the kids I found a cake pop maker on clearance at Sam's Club, so I know they're all going to be really happy.  

I also like to incorporate a little bit of pink fun into my decorating.  

 This year I found a sweet little glittery heart banner at Michaels. 

  

The rest of these items here are just from around the house. 

I bought this baguette board from Decor Steals last fall and I enjoy the rustic charm it brings to all my vignettes.

There's a little something for everyone here.  Werthers and Coffee candies, as well as peppermint, lemon and chocolate candies.  In the jar is are pineapple candies Dave brought home from Hawaii.

The kids are loving the "candy bar".  I can safely keep all of this out since the older kids always ask before taking one, and sneaky little Lydia can't reach the back of the dresser yet.
 

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 Last week when we were at Barnes and Noble, Elsa spotted this devotional.  She's been trying to read her Bible daily and so she requested this beautiful hardbound book to help her stay focused.

 

 How could I say no to that?  So I decided to get the adult version for myself also.  Taking that time daily to spend with the Author of Love is more important than anything else I do in this life.  

I've got to say, I was heavily influenced by the lovely birds on the covers of these.  Aren't they gorgeous?

  

We're going to spend time on Wednesday learning about St Valentine and the origins of Valentines Day.  I hope all of you have an amazing week.  

Linking to:

Making The World Cuter Monday @ Making The World Cuter

Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple

Meet Me Monday @ You Are Talking Too Much The DIY Showoff

Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill

Creative me @ The Southern Institute Martha Mondays @ Watch Out Martha 

I Gotta Try That!
Show me what you got @ Our Delightful Home

Knick of Time Tuesday

Tuesday's Treasurer @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia 

Power of Paint Party @ Domestically Speaking

Be Inspired @ Elizabeth and Co. Tutorials and Tips @ Home Stories A2Z

Twice Owned Tuesday @ House of Grace
 Uncommonly Yours @ Uncommon Designs Online
Share It @ The Winthrop Chronicles
Party @ Organize and Decorate Everything
Show Me What You Got @ Our Delightful Home 
Pretty Things @ Twelve-O-Eight 
 
 

Advent with the kids

I have really stepped away from the "doing" that typically accompanies this month of holiday celebration.  I've cut my online time in half at least, and some days I just don't get on at all (which is so freeing).  The pressure I usually feel is just gone.  Most of it is usually self imposed stress anyway and it's just not worth the cost.  My daily "being" should be focused on my family and the peace that needs to surround us.

The kids have continued to do school this month, rather than take a break as we normally do, since we've had a lot of weeks off this year due to traveling.  With the horrific violence we've seen in the last week or two, I've felt the need to protect the kids from trauma and so we've sheltered them from this story.  The theater shooting in Colorado was enough...they don't need to see this too.

Because I've kept us relatively cushioned from real life stuff, we've been able to just enjoy the season.  We've watched movies, calmly shopped and gathered what we need for gifts and stayed out of the rush.

I found a great blog post by The Mommyhood Memos with details on doing celebrating Advent with the kids.  The Bible stories are fabulous and we're really enjoying the quiet time reading together as we prepare to celebrate His birth.

 

This Advent pocket banner (in my beloved burlap) was found at a cute vintage store while I was in Washington.  I love having it on the wall.

I tucked each days' reading into the pockets.  Next year, I'll come up with a prettier and more uniform look for the inserts, but for now, the scrapbook paper looks just fine.

   

I pray you're able to find peace this season, remembering what is truly important and leaving the rest behind. 

I have a few book reviews to do and also want to show the Christmas decorating that's been done here in my cozy house, so I'll be back for a few posts this week.  Have a wonderful Sunday!

Change of plans

So much for painting wall stripes and mowing the lawn, this weekend turned out just a bit different.

After complaining of intermittent stomach ouchies for 4 days, Ephraim was in severe pain. We had made 1 trip to the urgent care on Wednesday, but after a urinalysis and x-ray, they couldn't find anything.  They told me to come back if the symptoms got worse or anything else showed up.

Ephraim had no other symptoms besides the pain in his tummy...no fever or any sort of illness, but it wasn't going away and was increasing in frequency and intensity.  So Friday night, Dave dropped Ephraim and I off at the ER/Urgent Care and then went back home.

The ER docs looked at him again and didn't find anything, so they offered the option of going home or getting more invasive.  I chose to get more invasive.

   

They put in an IV and did a blood workup, along with fluids.  Then he had to drink a "contrast" concoction for a CAT Scan.  He didn't care for that, but we made it fun and funny and he was able to get down 3/4 of it.

 

Then he threw up.  Ha!  

After donning a cute pediatric hospital gown, we got the CAT Scan.

   

At first the Dr. didn't see anything, but the radiologist thought he saw an Intussusception.  We got 2 more opinions from a surgeon and another radiologist and they all concurred that he had (at the least) an Intussesception and possibly a perforated bowel and infected appendix.

Dave came back to the ER with the kids.  It was after midnight, but I desperately needed to nurse Lydia since it had been 7 hours (ouch!). 

They quickly prepped Ephraim for surgery.  The little sweetheart fell asleep before they headed to the OR and didn't wake up until it was all finished.

The surgeon decided to start with a laparoscopy, but left the option open to do a full surgery depending on the damage.  

In the meantime, the hospital staff made up beds for our family so we could rest until he was done.  That was a huge blessing so they all didn't need to just wait sleeping in the car.

In seemingly no time at all, they came back and told us that it was a small amount of "telescoping" that they were able to quickly fix laparoscopically!  He came through with flying colors, praise the Lord. 

This precious little guy was a trooper the whole time.   

He never threw a fit, never really even cried, and has been a tough, tough 4 year old.  I'm so proud of him.

Dave is staying overnight with Ephraim and we hope to bring him home by Sunday night.

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I don't believe there are coincidences.  I believe God blesses and speaks to us with those little things we think are just coincidences.  

I've been reading One Thousands Gifts  for the second time.  I read about 1/2 of it last year, but never got around to finishing it (a crime really, but I'm being honest).  Last week I picked it up again and have been focused on working my way through it.  Ironically, on Thursday I read the chapter on accepting God's gifts even when they seem "bad" to us.  Are we willing to submit and give Thanks to him? Offer "Eucharisteo" even when it is a bitter situation?

This was mine.  A bitter cup.  I could have questioned why God was allowing this to happen.  I could have went to all the "what ifs" and freaked out.  But here, at least this time...I rested in God's provision, his strength and his ultimate plan.  There is nothing beyond his reach.  He knows all, plans all and works it all to our good, in the end.

It's an amazing feeling of peace.  I don't know if I'll freak out and cry later at what MIGHT have happened, but for now, I'm thankful to rest in God's promises and his will.  This time, he chose to bring my son through a scary situation nearly unscathed and whole.  And he showed me the contentment he gives when I rest in his power.