ROY G. BIV

The boys got in the car yesterday after school, and the first thing Mark says is, "Mom, you should have taught me about Roy G. Biv!  All the other kids knew about him, but I didn't. I  know why...I bet it's because they all went to preschool.  I should have gone to preschool so I would know it, too!"

I paused, then asked, "Well, did you learn about him today?  Do you understand the colors of the rainbow now?" 

"Yes," he answered.

"Well then, Mark, I guess it's okay that you didn't go to preschool to learn that.  You learned it today."

Oh, my.  Dear Mark and Nathan, I hope one day you will remember just a little bit of what we did when you didn't go to preschool.   Remember making "magic mud" and homemade play-doh?  Remember going to the park more times than we can count?  Remember helping me at the grocery store?  Remember volunteering together?  Remember visiting the library and reading book after book after book after book...?  Remember playing on the floor with bristle blocks and your big firetruck?  Remember having your friends and their mothers come over and having special snacks and being prayed over at the same time?  Remember "swinging up high in the air together?" 

Obviously, I could go on and on.  I know I was blessed by those days at home together.  And you were, too.  I love you, boys.

One Fine Day

Quick notes from a wonderful Tuesday with kids home from school:

• baked bread and granola in the morning
• boys played together and on their own
• Mark built a rocket
• Nathan did some computer "work"
• visited the library for a nice, long time
• went in the red caboose afterward for some play time
• came home and read books
• sent boys out to play basketball and with the dog
• visited with a friend in the afternoon
• enjoyed a meal from my own freezer for dinner

 End result: a relaxed, happy wife and mama.

Basketball Season

I am enjoying such a fun season of life with Greg and the boys.  Now that they are both a little older, we are exploring sports options.  Neither boy has ever played on a basketball team before, but both wanted to do it this winter.  It has been a great thing so far!  They are both loving the game and are having fun practicing in the driveway at home.  It's a joy to watch them be persistent and get better at different skills.  

For me, my "season" isn't defined by a sport (although I am still running a little bit for exercise and stress relief) but rather by the routines of life.  This year, I promised myself and God that I would enjoy the rhythms of daily living, moving forward with joy and appreciation for where we are as a family.  

I am establishing more routines for myself as I am working and taking care of our home.  I am learning to set limits around how I spend time, so I can reduce stress and be more productive during the week. 

My words for the year are TIDY and TIMELY.  I sense that God wants me to pursue them in both the practical and spiritual aspects of my life.  

I want to focus on keeping our home TIDY by having a set time each day when we all straighten things up.  I want to keep the family's meals and schedule TIDY by planning ahead.  I want to encourage the boys to keep their own rooms TIDY so they know where their things are when they need them.  

Spiritually, I want to keep a TIDY heart.  I want to stay clean before God by confessing sin daily and seeking His cleansing presence.  I want to be aware of the "weeds" that creep up in my life...jealousy, selfishness, harshness, impatience...to name a few...and to regularly ask God to take them out and replace them with something beautiful.

I want to focus on being TIMELY in terms of how I use the hours of each day.  I am setting aside time with God and time for exercise in the mornings.  I am working on doing things on a schedule so I can meet deadlines and be free to say "yes" as I am truly available.  I want to encourage the boys to be TIMELY by getting to school on time and working as a team to leave the house together.

Spiritually, I want to be TIMELY with my words, waiting until the right time to speak.  I want to live in recognition of God's perfect timing for my life.  I want to be TIMELY in my relationships, looking for opportunities to invest and share.

Lastly, I am committed anew to seeking Christ's glory.  This is incredibly freeing, as there have been many times when I have felt very bound by what I want or think I deserve, or by negative feelings that I have allowed to become such a habit that I have believed they really do define me.  Praise God for His power to change me.