Back to normal...if that's what this is!

I haven't written anything other than book reviews in for-eh-ver because things have been more than a little crazy around here.  Chris survived his first Summer Xtreme as a "staff member" at church.  I think it was a little more than he bargained for.  He worked really hard and got a little overwhelmed,  but he did it.  We are glad to have him back home with us at "normal" hours.  I had several people ask me lately if it's worth it.  "It" being Summer Xtreme and the whole "Chris working at church and never being home thing".  I guess I showed up at church a few times looking like I was going crazy.  :)

The answer is always an emphatic YES.  I hear testimonies of how kids' lives are changed and see my own children strive to follow Jesus and it makes it all worth it.  

It's all over now until next summer though, so things have calmed down for us.  We've been taking advantage of lots of free/cheap summertime deals that our area offers and we've been swimming a lot too.  Violet loves the water.  She floats around and enjoys herself and doesn't even cling to us for dear life.  I hope next summer is the same!  

Oh, and did I mention that our little girl is walking?  She took her first steps last week and is slowly getting more gutsy with it.  Cute and sad at the same time.  She's growing up.  

The boys have been surprising me lately, too. With housework.  No joke.  They've been behaving so responsibly with their chores.  I won't lie- it's so, SO nice to not have to scream and shout and threaten them to vacuum or sweep or load the dishwasher.  We take about 10 minutes three times a day and straighten everything up.  They admitted to me that this is easier than just letting everything go and doing it all at once.  Housekeeping is still not my gift but at least now we're managing it.  It's really nice.  Never thought I'd hear myself say that... I hope my mother's happy!

I have so much to catch up on... Shaun's baptism, Summer Xtreme, Jordan's shenanigans, Violet's milestones.  Tonight, though, my brain is tired and I may just go to sleep before midnight. 

13

Coming Home by:  Karen Kingsbury

Even though I've been over Karen Kingsbury for a few years now I decided to read this last book in the Baxter series because I just couldn't not find out how it all ends.  I invested a lot of time in the Baxter family over the years.  Time, tears, and laughter.  

The first half of this book was snooze-inducing.  I could barely stay awake while I was reading.  To be fair, it was boring to me because it was basically a recap of the "Redemption" series.  All of the Baxter kids and grandkids are coming back home to Indiana to celebrate their patriarch's birthday.  As each branch of the family was reintroduced, their story was retold.  I skimmed a lot.  

Then it came out of nowhere.  BAM!  Action.  Unexpected action.  Tear-jerking drama.  You better believe I cried like a baby.  Chris came home late one night to find me sobbing.  He thought someone had died or something, but I was just so upset over this book!  I won't give anything away, but Baxter Family fans- this is your warning to not attempt to read this book without a box of tissues and some ice cubes to reduce the swelling of your puffy eyes. 

12

And the Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers

This one was good.  Not as good as Redeeming Love, also by Rivers, but no book can live up to that.  :)

It was interesting reading about the downfalls of a mega church.  Since I go to one and all. I could relate to some of the issues that go along with attending a large church, but let me be clear... my church is NOT to be compared with the church portrayed here.  

The main thing I took away from this read was the need to keep Christ in the center of our lives.  If He's the center of our lives, He will be the center of our churches.  Big or small, a Christ-centered church is a great church!

Mother's Day 2013

My first Mother's Day as a mom of three.  It was a great day!  We had church, of course, and had to be there early so that the boys were ready for soundcheck.  Shaun ministered with Generation Praise for the last time today.  He's moving up to the middle and high school choir next week.  Bittersweet, but he's ready to move on.  

Before the kids sang today, this video was played.  I love it!  I think it captures Shaun's and Jordan's personalities so perfectly... Shaun trying to say the sweet, "correct" thing and Jordan just letting everything go!

http://vimeo.com/66010246

After church we met my family for lunch.  My mom has had a busy day herself... she woke up early to make it to Free Chapel so that she could hear Shaun and Jordan sing.  It takes 30 minutes to drive to our church and she and dad only stayed about 20 minutes. They left as soon as the music was over to drive back to their own church so that they wouldn't miss the other grandkids singing.  And then they drove all the way back in to Gainesville so that we could have lunch together.  One thing that I love about my mom is that she hardly ever misses any even that her grandkids are involved in.  Sometimes this means driving to Cleveland to watch Shaun play baseball and then racing back to Gainesville to watch Jordan or one of my nieces play soccer.  My parents try their hardest to never miss anything the grandkids do. I am so very blessed.  

After lunch we came home and the boys rode the four wheeler for awhile while Violet and I just relaxed.  Chris did manage to talk us into going for a ride, though.  Ha!  We ended the day with an impromptu cookout, compliments of my dad.  We moms didn't lift a finger.  The men cooked and cleaned everything up.  So nice.  

With my babies on Mother's Day.

God-Moments

Sometimes I write just to be writing.  To record our days so that I don't forget events and sayings and funny things the kids are doing in each season of their lives.  Then sometimes God tells me what to write.  Or He does something so amazing for me that I can't not share it.

This is one of those times. 

The kids and I went to noon prayer service today.  Jordan had been wanting to go so that he could do communion.  I love that he's so excited about communion, but I really didn't want to go to prayer service.  The only reason I wound up going was because Violet had a doctor's appointment this afternoon and we would be in town all day anyway.  If we went to prayer service first, we could ride together and save a little gas money.  

So, we went to church with Chris and had two hours before service started.  Violet took a nap and the boys did some school work while we waited.  Finally, it was time and we went in and got our little communion cups.  

The service began and it was really good.  Just what I needed to hear.  The pastor who preached referenced the message from this past Sunday.  Perry Stone brought a good word about "speaking to our mountains".  During the sermon today we were asked to think about our own personal mountains and then were given time to reflect and pray.  One particular mountain I'm currently facing is an old enemy of mine.  Depression.  Yuck.

It's been almost a whole year since I've dealt with this ugly demon.  I know for a fact that I was delivered from it last summer. But lately I've been feeling it try to creep back in.  I'm overwhelmed. And let's face it-  my three kids have been giving me some fits lately. I've also been struggling with forgiveness.  Feeling bitter.  I think I wrote recently that bitterness was not becoming on me.  Well, it's still not!  My joy's been slipping away.  

Violet got fussy during the prayer portion of the service.  I was going to take her out into the lobby but she settled down on my way out. I  decided to stay in the back of the auditorium. And I started speaking to my mountain.  What started out as speaking to my mountain soon had me in tears.  I cried out to God to wrap his arms around me and give me my joy back!  I asked for help in seeing the good things in every moment, the good things in my kids, the good things in my marriage. I paced around, prayed in the spirit, and cried until it was time to do communion.  The service ended and I didn't feel any difference except that now my eyes were all gritty from my tears.  I sat down in a chair to wait for Chris to get his things together so that we could go to lunch.  

Out of nowhere a woman I've never seen before began making her way toward my from the front row.  She pulled me to my feet, wrapped her arms around me, and through her tears began telling me that my family was beautiful, that I was beautiful, and that my marriage was beautiful.  She prayed for God to continue to bless us.  When she was finished, I looked at her and said "You have no idea how much I needed that today.  Thank you!".  She gave me one more hug and said, "Don't forget.  You are blessed!".

I am, indeed.  

I write all this to say to you, my friends, that God cares.  He cares.  He cares when we're tired and stressed and ready to pull our hair out as we strive to live in His will and do what He's called us to do.  He cares enough to send down little God-moments when we're at our lowest.  

  I don't think I've ever prayed specifically for God to wrap his arms around me before.  Today, 10 minutes after I prayed that prayer, I get enveloped in a hug by a total stranger who basically parroted back answers to my prayers to me.  What an amazing moment.  For all I know, that woman was an angel sent from God to confirm to me once and for all that I don't have to be a slave to depression.  I CAN see the glass as half-full and I CAN have my joy back.  Even on days like the ones I've been having lately.  :)

Okay.  I've been going all day and now it's almost midnight and I'm tired.  I'm not going to proofread this before I hit "publish", so there's no telling how it'll look.  It may not be pretty, but it's what's on my heart.  

11

Agenda 21 by: Glenn Beck with Harriet Parke

I promise I'll get back to regular blogging tomorrow.  But tonight, it's another "What I Read" post.  

Honestly, this book scared the crap out of me.  It's fiction.  Sort of.  Hits too close to home for my comfort, though.  It gave me nightmares.  

Again, I have my sister to thank.  This was my first Glenn Beck novel and I must be a glutton for punishment because I've already started to read another.  

10

Insurgent by:  Veronica Roth

The sequel to Divergent.  At the end, all I could do was sit there and think, "Wow.  Totally didn't see that one coming".  

A very good read.