He is Good

I'm blogging a little later than I typically do, and I'm really tired, but I was thinking about what in the world I would blog about tonight, and I was tempted to just do the fun "Wordless Wednesday" thing that people do, since I've always wanted to do that, but I felt that since I'm only blogging once a week right now, I needed something else, and then I had an idea. I guess I'll have to save the Wordless Wednesday for another day or maybe add it a little later? :) Anyway, my hubby and I were talking last week about a song that came on in the car that I just LOVE! I was telling him about how much I love the lyrics in reference to my relationship with God, but I really try to live the message these words convey in my parenting and how I relate to others. The song is called You Are Good by Kari Jobe, and if you're familiar with her music at all you have probably heard the song. I have been known to blare it at our house and sing it at the top of my lungs, and the kiddos love it! :) Here are the lyrics:

You Are Good
by Kari Jobe
Your kindness leads me to repentance
Your goodness draws me to Your side
Your mercy calls me to be like You
Your favor is my delight
Every day I'll awaken my praise
And pour out a song from my heart
You are good, You are good
You are good, and Your mercy is forever
You are good, You are good
You are good, and Your mercy is forever
Your kindness is forever, Your goodness is forever
Your mercy is forever, Forever

The words to this song soften my heart to the Lord, and that is was I want to be like to my children. I want them to be drawn to obedience to the Lord by my kindness, goodness and mercy, and for them to find favor in my delight in them. I know that they are children and that I have to give myself room, considering that these are attributes of God, but we are called to be like Him. I can pray that the Lord will draw them to Himself, because that is what is more important, but I can also do my best to live in "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" as is stated in Galatians 5:22-23. Of course, the reason this song speaks to me is that I am far from being able to keep myself to these Fruits of the Spirit all the time. It is a daily battle of my will, but it is my prayer that my love of the Lord will be lived out in a way that leads them to Him.
I hope it blesses you the way it does me!



And of course the post would not be complete without some pictures of the chickadees and an update on the progression of the sock I'm knitting for Lee! :)









Grace and Peace.

Love and Joy

Happy Valentines Day! We celebrated early by going out on Friday since that's when my sister in law offered to come and watch the kids. It was such a blessing to be able to get out and go on a date with my husband! I always dreamed that we would be able to go on dates once a week, but that has not always been feasible for us. We have had to improvise a lot of the time, and have dates at home where Lee or I would cook, or where we would have some super yummy dessert or popcorn and a movie. To me, it wouldn't be any fun if there wasn't some sort of creativity to it all. Sometimes, the more simple dates that were cheaper but had more thought put into them are the more special dates, in my opinion. :) This Valentines Day has been a little different, though. I have been stuck on knitting these socks for Lee, and he's really excited, so we went and picked out the yarn and the pattern and bought the supplies, and I'm working on them still. Lee got me two books that I have been REALLY wanting (One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, and Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider), so we are both taken care of there, but the funny thing is that we both have another part of each others' gifts that are still on their way! :) My 2nd part for him is expected to arrive on Wednesday, and his 2nd part for me (which I know will be much bigger than my part for him, if I know him) is expected to arrive even later, by a few days! I'm super excited, though. I love Valentines Day, but it's even more fun when surprises are involved and when it doesn't end quickly. I have been known to spoil my own fun on this special holiday, with my expectations for how things should be for myself. And it's not that my hubby is one to go halfway on things, it's just that I'm more a "hand made" girl and he's more of the "nicer the better" kind of guy. It's a funny mix, almost backwards seeming, but we're learning. I'm so excited to be able to "hit the nail on the head" with these knitted socks, and I know what he's got ordered for me is hand made, so we're reaching that middle ground there somehow. :) I had forgotten until today, but this is our 14th Valentine's Day to celebrate as a couple! The first 3 we were still dating, but wow, it seems like it was just yesterday. We have both grown and changed, so it also seems like ages all at the same time. :) I am so blessed! I know I am, and I sometimes feel like I'm bragging to say so, but I need to bask in these blessings! They are a part of the story that God has given to me and I sure LOVE this story so far, even with its twists and turns and jigs and jags! It's a tear jerker and an action film, along with being a beautiful romance and a documentary all wrapped up in one! ;) I am learning to "stay fully awake" the way that Ann Voskamp's video preview mentions about her book, that I have posted in my previous post. I keep having to remind myself that my kids won't be throwing cereal around the room forever (Titus) or needing my help tying their shoes for an eternity. These are solitary moments that I have with them, and I have 2 ways I can handle them, with joy or with drudge. I pray that I embrace each of these moments with joy and that my husband and children will find that it rubs off on them. The same goes for the things I do for my husband, like laundry, dishes and preparing meals. These things are hard to accept as being "fun", and my personality gravitates toward the fun, creative, and non-tedious things in life (hence the crocheting and knitting), but I have been making it my goal to keep a positive attitude toward these tasks. I have even played mind games with myself, like had a competition to see how long we could go in the month and not eat out! I was surprised at the joy I experienced at the creativity I was able to have in the kitchen. :) I'm learning, and I think I need to bring on the personal competitions again! They seem to work with me. :) I am excited to begin to grasp life again, with less fear and with more ambition and with more joy. That is what the Lord has worked in our life, after all, that makes us different from the natural bent of the world. What a blessing that we can look forward to changing our perspective in a way that allows us to look forward to doing the dishes because maybe we will decide to pray for the users of the dishes instead of curse the job of washing them! :)

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10







"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;" Psalm 98:4

Adventures in... socks?

Do you ever get in the mood to create? I get in these moods often. I think it's something that I feel that I have some sort of control over, since everything else seems to be out of my hands. :) Sometimes it crochet, sometimes knitting, sometimes painting (rarely these days though), sometimes writing poetry and sometimes its blogging. The other day I was just wanting to get my hands busy with something beautiful! I was wishing I had practiced more at the piano or stuck with those moments of playing around with the guitar I had in junior high! I could just feel my fingers working together to make a beautiful composition of praise to the Lord... but, alas, the symphony cannot be found here (except for Pandora, YouTube or CD), so today I blog :) Not that it's all that beautiful, but I love words and what the release of them does to my days! There is nothing like sitting down to the computer and just letting it f l o w! ;) I write poetry and but don't share it often. I have always loved it. These days I've been on mission "knit a sock for the hubby"! :) I haven't done a lot of knitting in the past at all, and have made small strips of knitted-ness (that were nothing) with dropped stitches and all (which means HOLES)! :) Then I made myself a single knitted cotton wash cloth for the dishes. It was nice. But I have really busied myself with crochet! I LOVE crocheting, but there is really one thing that I have wanted to be able to make since I started 10 years ago that I can't crochet; socks! Crocheted socks are just not cute!!! :) So, this year, one of my New Year Resolutions has been to knit a sock, well, a pair of socks! :) I started out with all of the stuff: the 4 double sided needles, yarn! BUT it didn't last long... my yarn was too thick and my needles too small! So, after my first project was hurting my hands, I went to Google and "researched" what I needed and found a website that showed me what yarn I should get for what size of needles! I have so far made a "not a sock", a baby hat, and a doll baby cozy, all in efforts of making these socks, until today! :) I have, as of now, conquered one tube sock! Those are the socks that don't have heels. These are going to be for me, since the hubby wants socks with the heels and all, but I am one step closer and VERY excited! I will be starting on the other sock tomorrow. :) I know it probably seems so weird that this project has me so excited, but I am really proud of myself for learning how to knit on my own, and now teaching myself how to knit a sock through YouTube videos and online tutorials! I am so glad that God created us with the ability to create. I don't know why, but I always find a sense of calm when I'm working on a project like this, and I feel so accomplished when I can set a goal and achieve it. I am really looking forward to the days that the girls can join me and we can knit or crochet together. Both Zoe and Lenci have worked on crocheting, and they love it. They are both always begging me to work with them on it. :)
I cannot imagine what the Father was feeling when He made us. It was a much easier task for Him to speak us into being, yet it is IMPOSSIBLE for us to do, than it is for me to knit or crochet or paint... anything, but He looked at creation upon its completion at each step and declared it "good". :) I also love that the Bible uses knitting to describe the creation of the human body in a mother's womb.
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16
These passages bring a whole new meaning to my crocheting and knitting projects! I have prayed for the recipients of my creations before. It's very neat to know that with each stitch I can lift these people, created by the Lord Himself, up and intercede for them in my own prayers. I know that it really doesn't "bless" the item any more, but it really gives me a good excuse to pray for them. I'm looking forward to knitting my husband's socks! :) I will surely be praying for him as I knit each stitch. Believe it or not, I think he's looking forward to getting his very own socks knit by Yours Truly! :) I guess I'm going to be working at blessing his socks ON! ;)










So, here's the progression of working on the first finished sock that's the right size! Now on to the other... :) I think I'll just go strait to it, though the girls are most definitely wanting another dolly cozy! ;)

5 things:
1. a hubby happy to cook
2. snow days that keep daddy home from work :)
3. rearranging rooms and repurposing furniture
4. conversations with my hubby over dishes
5. completing tasks and marking things off of my to do list