Redemption

Tonight at our weekly marriage book study, our pastor said,"God redeems what he allows."

I'm chewing on that one. 

I believe the Bible is true. So...I believe that God is sovereign, good, holy, just, merciful, righteous, all-powerful, all-knowing. He created, he rescued, he redeemed. 

And sometimes it is just plain hard to square all of that with the ugliness that we see all over the world. When it's hard to wrap my mind around it, (Why is there so much evil and bad in the world?) I know I need to adjust my perspective. This world is broken, and it's broken for a reason. God created it perfect and beautiful and good. Adam and Eve didn't trust him, they sinned, and pulling that fruit off of the tree was like pulling a small thread in a tapestry, which just so happened to hold everything together. The unraveling had begun.

God is a Master Weaver, though. As quickly as the good strong thread that was woven through all of creation came slipping and unlooping and tangling up in gnarls, God was already making a new masterpiece. 

I'm going to get more familiar with this redemption, this loving restoration of what's all snagged, torn apart, holey. From holey to holy. So that every fiber of our being is new. From our beginnings, he was knitting us together. In the end, he will clothe us in righteousness. 

Yes, all along, he is redeeming what he allows. 

Hubris Takes Heed

Let's just take a minute to appreciate the moment. To bask in the gloriousness of this accomplishment. To revel in the absolute marvel of such a surprising, extraordinary, and unbelievable feat.

At 9:30, all three of my children are in bed, with the lights out. Eliana has actually been asleep since at least 8:30. These things do not happen around here, people! I'm feeling pretty good right now. 

Of course, there are many things I have yet to do. Load the dishwasher. Clean the entryway. Fold a load of laundry. (Which just so happens to be the only clean load to fold...how about that for YET ANOTHER AMAZING TRIUMPH?!) Clear the school table for tomorrow. Finish a sleeve of Oreos. 

Obviously, I have some work left this evening. (Seriously? Who can leave three Oreos in the package? Not me. Not tonight.)

***BEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP***
We interrupt this bloated-from-all-the-boasting-post to inform you that Christian came downstairs announcing his inability to go to sleep. Christian! The one who never fusses about lights out (except when I'm telling others that he goes to bed so willingly and without delay and with nary a whine)! He cannot sleep! He is excited! (Does he want to talk about something? No! He's just excited!) He asks if I can read something to him. Of course, I do.
***BEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP ***

So, what was I saying?

Oh, yes! I remember.

Pride goeth before the fall.

And...Oreos goeth before the milk. (Not into the milk. I'm neither a dipper, nor a soaker.)  

Thoughts From the Day

You can count on people in cars doing stupid things. I will include myself. No less than nine times while I was driving around this morning (and I drove around a lot this morning because we had to take a car in...there was a great deal of back and forth) did I witness someone driving in a manner that left me questioning his or her sanity. And my own driving debacle certainly left someone else questioning mine. And possibly left someone with messy pants. (Don't worry. No one was hurt.) (Related: You cannot gun it at a light, turning left, on a wet road, in a big truck. So...don't do that.)

Benedryl + Sudafed = weird dreams 

We are a disaster. (Just kidding. I already knew that.)

I am capable of putting away an entire load of laundry when it comes out of the dryer. 

Yesterday it was 72 degrees here. Tonight it might snow. Are there words for such crazy weather? It's like this all over the country. What does it MEEEEEEAN?!

Eliana handles having a snotty, stuffy, runny nose so much better than I do. She's tough. I'm a whiny baby. 

And on that note, I should get ready for bed. I'm feeling drained, and my thoughts aren't very clear. Bet you never would have guessed that, huh? Ha.

I Wander and Squander

I wander and I squander till I've nothing left to spend.
Bankruptcy, the irony - nothing left weighs more
Than anyone can carry on, yet still to this I tend!
So reckless and so careless, leaving riches, proving poor.
You can't tell this empty shell leaves much to be desired.
Oh longing, you are wronging those who love you most of all;
Heart's desire, in the fire that refines the beauty mired, 
Twisting yet untwisting, set yourself to heed such call
Which makes anew this lacking you. He never stays his hand!
Turn around for you are found, who strayed so far from home.
See the joy, and haste employ; return to all that's grand! 
He meets you, joyous greets you, though your heart wouldst choose to roam!

Sometimes I Think...

that we should just live into who we are. As a family, I mean. We are more night-owls than early risers. We should just keep Christian home, get our sleep the way we like to (between the perfectly normal hours of 10:30pm [children], 2:00am [adults] and 10am. Once our school day got started, I would rotate the kids (two playing or working on something while I worked with the other), there would be reading time scheduled in the day, and one hour in the afternoon for a quiet time (they could read, rest, draw, write letters). 

And then I start laughing so hard that I pull a muscle in my abdomen, fall on the floor, and wet my pants a little.