a settled place

"[...] lifegiving parenting is not a formula, program, or set of rules to follow. That's not how life happens. It's simply about inviting Jesus into your home to eat at your table and be with you; pulling back any curtains of bad habits, sin, or laziness to let as much of the light of God into your home every day as you can; and opening and cleaning all the vents so the Holy Spirit can breathe and fill up the airspace of your home with His presence". (p. 16) That  is what I love about this book by Clay & Sally Clarkson. It is exactly what they say it is. They present principles, not rules or programs, and they encourage and inspire me toward a higher standard of parenting, rather than degrading what I'm doing. Each section I read leaves me thinking - "ok, what I'm doing is good, but I can do better". And I need that. We all need iron to sharpen our iron occasionally, to remind us to keep trying and keep putting forth effort in parenting. Othe

God Made the World  by Sarah Jean Collins is a darling board book that tells the story of Creation in rhyme. There are definitely other books out there like it, but I think what set it apart are it's unique, modern illustrations. They're artsy and geometric, with repeating patterns of shapes that are so cute! It's retailing for $7.99 on Amazon, so it would be a good addition to a baby gift if you're looking for something just a little extra to add. I actually haven't read it to my kids yet; I'm saving it for this winter when we gift them a book each day of December leading up to Christmas. By that time I think it will be perfect for my oldest to read to my youngest! :) I received a copy of this book from Tyndale in exchange for my review.

I have prayed, as all mothers do, that God would give me opportunities to help me teach my children what a real and deep relationship with Him looks like. I am ashamed to admit that when the answer to that prayer showed up as anxiety in my oldest, I wasn't overly thankful - nor did I recognize it as the answer to my prayer. As I think through our conversations over the past few days, I see now that she is sorting through the good and the bad and every little comment is only touching the surface of many deep thoughts, feelings, and questions. And I am thankful that she is feeling deeply and asking questions because that is the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Jesus. She had preschool graduation this morning and I'm not one to get emotional but there must be something about 'Pomp and Circumstance' that brings it out in me. Happy endings, new beginnings, and celebration... I suppose all of it is definitely worth getting emotional about. :)

"I will walk with integrity of heart     within my house; I will not set before my eyes     anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away;     it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me;     I will know nothing of evil. Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly     I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart     I will not endure. I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,     that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless     shall minister to me." (Psalm 101:2-6) I read in Psalms this morning and thought I should probably copy down these verses dozens of times so as to write them on my heart - because this is, truly, the best summary I of what I want to be. I want to walk in a way that is blameless before the Father and be an example for my children. And I want to stay focused on things that are important and kingdom-building and life-giving. I want to turn away from p

I guess it's only Tuesday, so five baskets of unfolded laundry sitting in the living room isn't too  bad - especially considering that this stomach bug has left no one in our family unscathed and I found myself curled up in bed for the last 18 hours, leaving my family to fend for themselves. It has been good to take a little time-out from life because you come back with new realizations, like Ivory is an incredible helper, and Titus just needs four-hour-naps sometimes to be as good as new, and Elijah is growing up so much even though he still has this routine of waking up every four hours through the night. That is one that will need to be modified as soon as I can actually think straight again. There is so much delight to be found in these little days... in these nights with warm breeze blowing through the windows and these days with little squeals of protest when the developing crawler moves quickly toward whatever toy happens to be the focu