I’m joining The Nester and a lot off others in the 31 Day Writing Challenge. We pick a topic and write a post on that every day in October!
My topic:
Living is learning and living is growing. Being a child of God is that, as well. I’m glad I keep on changing and learning and growing, because I do not want to stay where I am at.
I used to think I had to do it the same way as others. If I looked up to a specific someone, I felt like I was not a good Christian if I did not do it that way.
But I’ve found that since everybody is unique, everybody’s story is unique. During this 31 day series (joining up with thenester.com for the 31 day writing challenge. Check out the others here), I want to share my story. I want to share how I’m changing and growing as a child of God, and what it looks like in my life to be becoming more like Him. I’ve asked some friends to come visit here and share their stories as well! (They said yes!! 🙂 )
Will you come join us on this 31 […]
This morning I woke up at 3:30 and I couldn’t fall back asleep. So after almost 2 hours of ?tossing and turning, I got up and made myself a little cup of tea (see below), started my day of with the Father, and wrote Five Minute Friday in my dear journal.
I’ll type it out in case you can’t read it 😉
“…Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great and abundant is Your faithfulness.” Lam. 3: 22-23
Like the clean, creamy pages of my beloved journal. New. Like the rosebud that will open today. A new, fresh rose.
His mercy is new EVERY morning! That means it’s like manna. I’m not to worry that I used it all yesterday. There’s a new batch today!
His kindness is new every morning. Although I’m freaking out about today, about a whole day with 2 little boys, after a night of 2,5 hours sleep and no patience. His compassion is new today.
Today I want to throw myself in His care, on His mercy. I want to have faith that He’ll be there. Let Him speak, […]
Abel running into Worship at TeenStreet last year. He’ld just learned how to walk and we couldn’t keep him out of there! I grew up with a reverent, silent kind of worship. You know, the kind where you are very quiet and talk in whispers the moment you get out of the car at church on Sunday morning.It was very normal to me, it was good and I liked it that way.
So I was quite shocked at the first ever praise evening I attended. There was music! Loud! Lights! Songs that repeated themselves! People lifting their hands up! People (I’ll say it very quietly so as not to shock you to much)?dancing! ?Well, they were swaying their hips anyway!
I married a wise man who was and is very patient and loving and kind and puts up with my?prejudices. Sometimes he grins a little. Sometimes he might even snort. But for the most part he’s very sweet.?Giving me time to get over myself and get over my pre-conceived notions of how life works.
Then when I find out that that’s not exactly how it is, he usually refrains from saying ‘I told you so’ and just makes do […]
Picking in apples in a deserted orchard (isn’t the phrase ‘deserted orchard’ just ever so romantic?’)
Finding the strawbarries. They are still here!
Berries for little boys.
Eating apples
I think God let that orchard grow there just for us, for this night.
Okay so that might be a little self-centered.
Walking home to go to bed
Wearing the Australia clothes so we could also sentimentally think of Aunty Cel and the unmet Uncle Al.
Just like the chickens in the backyard make me feeel like a homesteader, this orchard makes me feel like a pionier on the frontier. You know, finding food out in the wild and all.
In the coming winter, I think this is the day I will look back to when I’m wearing two sweaters and three pairs of socks and wonder what the summer felt like.
This is my idea of a perfect summer day.
What’s yours? Did you get it this summer?
[…]
When Gabriel is drinking and it does not go as fast as he wants it to, he starts screaming. He stops drinking and gets all into a hysterical fit, kicking his feet and flinging his hands about. He prefers to drown himself in milk, having it all in one gulp.
Sometimes I catch myself doing that.
God says He will give me the strength I need when I need it. He’s not just going to make me superman or give me my entire life in one second. I need to go ahead, take a step in faith, and He’ll be there. Like Peter, walking on the water. Only not quite as scary. (Seriously. I went snorkling one time and I was freaked out to the point of death because of the dark deep dephts beneath me. On the other hand, Peter didn’t have goggles and therefore couldn’t see the deep dark depths quite as well)
When I start kicking and screaming, it’s not nearly as acceptable as when my baby does it. Even when he does it it’s risky business for the little dude.
So my point is, just like I want my baby to be […]
I step into the water feeling big.
Excited and keeping my cool, acting tough, I walk into the icy cold water, laughing at my husband and sister-in-law who are still standing in the shallow parts, not willing to go under into the freezing wetness.?Dipping my head under the water just enough to get my goggles in the water, I float, high enough that my tube for oxygen stays in the air.
The last time I went snorkeling it was magical. The sun sparkled and I felt like a mermaid swimming?in the midst of a school of fish. Almost touching them.?This time, the sun isn’t shining.?I see fish, corals and seaweed floats evasively between it, but the water is dark and menacing this time.
All at once I stop. The ground opened up to show a deep gash. And I’m terrified. Like something will grab me.?Not so big and cool anymore, I shiver and wait for Mike to reach me. He wants me to touch the yellow buoy.
We swim over, but I have to make myself. Something about the dark, deep gashes scares me to death. I touch the yellow floaty thing and swim back like my life depends on […]
I am learning about taking grace in the middle.
When I’ve already messed up. I already yelled at my baby, I already slammed the door, and the kitchen floor is still quite dirty.
I feel like going on like this, and behave even worse. I might start behaving again tomorrow after the night has washed this day away and after I cleaned my kitchen floor and cooked my family a healthy dinner. Maybe torture my husband with a cookie that is sweetened with stevia.
Making a cookie with stevia for your husband who is pining for some Spicy Doritos totally redeems your rotten attitude from the day before, right?
But I’m learning to ask for grace and forgiveness before it gets worse.
To say sorry to a toddler who really doesn’t get it and pray together and start behaving like a child of God right away instead of following the very appealing desires of my flesh to slam the door REALLY HARD and look REALLY MAD and say some mean things in a poisonous tone of voice with sparks of fire flashing from my eyes, when my innocent husband comes down from the office to get a glass of […]
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