Goals Update - April 11, 2011
We've been busy, productive, ill and weary here at our house over the last few weeks.
I have had the terrible head cold that's been running around - it lingers. And, given my lovely sinuses, it had to turn into a sinus infection too. I'm on the mend, but it's been a long two weeks.
John's spend more of the last 4 days at the hospital (working) than at home. He's frustrated with unnecessary tests, cranky patients, lack of sleep and unhelpful co-workers.
The kids have been cranky with endless appetites and not sleeping well - a sure sign they are growing yet again. Missy's shoes don't fit her again and Buddy's pants seem to have shrunk overnight in the wash. Buddy lost his glasses about a month ago and we have yet to find them. We're pretty sure they were lost at school, it's just where at school that is the question! Ugh.
In all of that, there have been lovely, wonderful and good things too.
*Lots and lots of work done a two side projects for me - one at school and one at work.
*Excellent school conferences for the kids - and their 'preliminary pass' to first grade this fall.
*A very nice amount of extra overtime pay for John's paycheck from all the overtime he's done.
*The start of a grant to be written at work - exciting times there!
*An entire van load of items donated to the church garage sale (or the "Holy C*!%p Sale" as Pr. B. likes to call it!).
*News of our new nephew or niece on the way this fall for my SIL who has hoped for another baby for a long time.
*Lots of family time - we've been trying deliberately to make more time together as a family and we've succeeded!
*The gift of a large pail of beef stew and ham and cheese sandwiches leftover from a Lenten supper, which meant we had lunches taken care of for 4 days!
* A wonderful conversation with someone about the situation at our home church.
* More work done on my dissertation.
* The irises, daffodils, and tulips making their way up out of the ground.
* The last of the snow melted.
* Buds starting to come on the lilacs.
* New summer dresses for Missy, courtesy of Grandma and her sewing machine.
* My children's school getting close to their total for building their well in Africa.
I have been continually amazed at the Refining Fires that God uses on me.
These last few weeks have been hard.
Harder than I ever thought normal life could be.
I have felt adrift and lost - as though I had no home.
I was getting so frustrated with not really having a church 'home' at the moment, with the sheer mountain of work that I have to scale every day, the constant vigilance of raising children, the endless of chores of managing a home, the challenge of teaching students who sometimes just don't want to learn, the frustration and endless path of writing a doctoral dissertation, the call of uplifting and helping my husband, and the desire to still take care of myself.
Tonight I will be up until at least 1am - making rolls for sandwiches later this week, trying to catch up on tidying the house and finishing the never-ending laundry, doing the necessary ironing and trying to make myself tired enough to go to sleep in spite of the fact that John won't be home until about the time I head to bed.
I had time tonight to cuddle with my children and read stories and then do sweet devotions before tucking them into bed.
I spent 15 minutes mixing up a batch of whole wheat dinner rolls - my finger nails getting dough-y in the process and making my kitchen smell lovely indeed.
I will be able to wake up to clean, comfortable home in the morning and know that my children and my husband (as well as myself) are ready for the day ahead with clean clothes, packed lunches and a welcoming house to call home.
God is so good!
I may be weary, but He still blesses me with my weariness and gives me strength to run my race.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Always.
I have had the terrible head cold that's been running around - it lingers. And, given my lovely sinuses, it had to turn into a sinus infection too. I'm on the mend, but it's been a long two weeks.
John's spend more of the last 4 days at the hospital (working) than at home. He's frustrated with unnecessary tests, cranky patients, lack of sleep and unhelpful co-workers.
The kids have been cranky with endless appetites and not sleeping well - a sure sign they are growing yet again. Missy's shoes don't fit her again and Buddy's pants seem to have shrunk overnight in the wash. Buddy lost his glasses about a month ago and we have yet to find them. We're pretty sure they were lost at school, it's just where at school that is the question! Ugh.
In all of that, there have been lovely, wonderful and good things too.
*Lots and lots of work done a two side projects for me - one at school and one at work.
*Excellent school conferences for the kids - and their 'preliminary pass' to first grade this fall.
*A very nice amount of extra overtime pay for John's paycheck from all the overtime he's done.
*The start of a grant to be written at work - exciting times there!
*An entire van load of items donated to the church garage sale (or the "Holy C*!%p Sale" as Pr. B. likes to call it!).
*News of our new nephew or niece on the way this fall for my SIL who has hoped for another baby for a long time.
*Lots of family time - we've been trying deliberately to make more time together as a family and we've succeeded!
*The gift of a large pail of beef stew and ham and cheese sandwiches leftover from a Lenten supper, which meant we had lunches taken care of for 4 days!
* A wonderful conversation with someone about the situation at our home church.
* More work done on my dissertation.
* The irises, daffodils, and tulips making their way up out of the ground.
* The last of the snow melted.
* Buds starting to come on the lilacs.
* New summer dresses for Missy, courtesy of Grandma and her sewing machine.
* My children's school getting close to their total for building their well in Africa.
I have been continually amazed at the Refining Fires that God uses on me.
These last few weeks have been hard.
Harder than I ever thought normal life could be.
I have felt adrift and lost - as though I had no home.
I was getting so frustrated with not really having a church 'home' at the moment, with the sheer mountain of work that I have to scale every day, the constant vigilance of raising children, the endless of chores of managing a home, the challenge of teaching students who sometimes just don't want to learn, the frustration and endless path of writing a doctoral dissertation, the call of uplifting and helping my husband, and the desire to still take care of myself.
Tonight I will be up until at least 1am - making rolls for sandwiches later this week, trying to catch up on tidying the house and finishing the never-ending laundry, doing the necessary ironing and trying to make myself tired enough to go to sleep in spite of the fact that John won't be home until about the time I head to bed.
I had time tonight to cuddle with my children and read stories and then do sweet devotions before tucking them into bed.
I spent 15 minutes mixing up a batch of whole wheat dinner rolls - my finger nails getting dough-y in the process and making my kitchen smell lovely indeed.
I will be able to wake up to clean, comfortable home in the morning and know that my children and my husband (as well as myself) are ready for the day ahead with clean clothes, packed lunches and a welcoming house to call home.
God is so good!
I may be weary, but He still blesses me with my weariness and gives me strength to run my race.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Always.
