So, I finally bit the bullet and ordered 5 paperback black and white books of my blog from the last 5 years! I went to Blog 2 Print and used a coupon they had. I think it was a worthy investment. I have been so nervous for years that something might happen to all these memories. Well at least now I have them in print!!! Reading back over the books has been such a pleasure. It's also reminded me about what a bad blogger I've become. I used to record our family memories so much better. I treasure that so much. Even if no one comments or reads much in this space anymore, I really do want to keep it up and do a better job of detailing our daily lives. I know I will want to remember these days!
One reason I don't blog much is time of course. Another reason is I just so often feel like a jumbled mess. I don't feel like I can form a coherent thought half the time anymore. My brain is mush. Our life is very full and yet even with that fullness, some days are also just mundane. But there is so much beauty in the busy and the mundane I believe.
I've shared some about how the Lord is teaching me to rest more. To observe the sabbath. To abide in Him so that I am able to bear more fruit in the work He has called me to. I've shared about parties and the holidays, but I haven't shared about how life is in general. I hope and want to do that more!
Our ministry with Cru is going so well. Jeff is an amazing leader. I am so proud of all he does day in and day out leading other staff and our students to Jesus. I'm amazed at the stories he brings home each week. Alabama is such a different University than when we were here. It has grown from around 19,000 to over 30,000 students. Over half of the student body is from out of state. And I'm not talking just surrounding states. I'm talking Oregon. Washington. California. Colorado. Connecticut. These are not Bible Belt cultural Christians students anymore. Some of the students our staff meet with have truly never heard the Gospel truth spelled out. It's just amazing to see the life change that has happened over the years in students lives. Seeing them captured by the beauty of a Savior and then following Him in radical ways. I truly love being a part of the kingdom advancing through college students. It is such a ripe time in their lives. My main ministry is to Jeff and the 4 little ones in my care. However, I try to go to our large group meeting from time to time as well as attend a staff meeting or prayer meeting from time to time. We love to have students over, but at this stage in our life with kids having homework and after school activities it doesn't happen as much as we wish.
My kids challenge me each moment of every day. I'm not kidding. They are amazing and wonderful and I love them so much my heart hurts. But they require so much. It is a daily struggle to lay my life down for them. I want to live my life for myself much more! And I'm thankful that I get to do some life giving things for myself periodically cause otherwise I'd go crazy:). I'm thankful that I've made meeting with the Lord each morning a priority so that I can love the children better. We went to a conference last month called Empowered to Connect. It was amazing. It was all about parenting children from hard places. It gave us such great tools to parent our guy from a hard place who 8 years after his adoption still struggles daily because of his background. The conference has led us to a shift in how we parent all of our children though. It was such a good reminder for me to parent with connection in mind. I want to connect with my children. Do I need to train them and raise them to be all the things I desire and God instructs them to be? Yes! But I think in the chaos and in the selfishness I am so prone to, I was missing a lot of chances to connect. To give grace. To shepherd towards Jesus. The last month of parenting them has still been hard (of course it has...I don't think it will ever be easy), but it has been so much better. In many ways, I've learned to lay down my desires and wants more, but it has been rewarding to see the ways I am getting to connect with these precious ones God has given me. I have no greater joy or calling than to connect with them and make sure they know they are precious and loved.
1 comment:
I really need to print out my blog too!! I hear you about blogging and making time for family and just life. You certainly have your priorities right because you put God and your family first. That's all that matters!! There is no greater calling than motherhood!
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