He is Greater.....John 3:30 says He must become greater, I must become less"

I was sitting in Josiah's room just now listening to the bedtime music we play at night.  Lauren Daegle's song Love Like This came on.  I had just been thinking about all of the hateful and hurtful and disappointing things going on in my life.  I was thinking about missed opportunities and frustrating circumstances and how disappointing people can be......I was mad because Claire has been home today being an amazing sister to her siblings, and she has been present and loving and attentive and fun.  Tonight the little kids kind of puked all over that because of extenuating circumstances.....but she was left feeling mad and underappreciated.....and she should never ever feel that way.  I sent her a text and reminded her that kids who have issues struggle with gratitude.  She knows this.  But it's good to be reminded.  I spent all day tending to our home and family.  I spent a lot of money today on food to do some meal prep so that when we ha...

In one week the school year will be finished.  The children will all bring home the contents of their school desks and backpacks.  We will switch gears and move into summer mode.  I see lots of social media posts that give lists of chores and tasks for children to complete each day before they can watch tablets, or play with friends or whatever.  While I appreciate those lists, I would put them in a category I call "overachiever parents".  I am not one of them.  I'm sure that if all 5 of my children could wake up, make their bed, do one household chore, read 20 minutes, brush their teeth and exercise every day I would feel like a really good parent.  Who am I kidding.....I can't even get them to do the library reading program long enough to get the little sign to put in the grass for the rest of the summer.  Neither can I get my husband to spray for weeds on demand or fix the deck in the backyard.....I can't make my people do much.  I can ...

I was having a conversation with a friend today and she described how her husband, after working hard all day, will put on his slippers when he is finished for the day.  Donning his slippers is the signal that he is done for the day.  If a friend calls and invites him out, his wife has heard him say "no thank you, I have my slippers on".  One of the Spanish words for slippers is pantuflas.  It's a fun word to say.....pantuflas.  Say it with me.  "No, sorry, I can't take the garbage out or meet you for drinks or pick up the yard....I have my pantuflas on."  What a great concept.  What a great routine.  Some of us have this routine.  We end our day in a certain way that signals our choice to be done for the day.  Some people need to wipe down the counters, mop the floors, tidy up.  Some need to shower, mud mask their face, condition their hair.  Some need to do other rituals, such as walk around the house checking that al...

Today is my birthday.  Because my birthday landed on a Sunday this year, we started the day as we do most Sundays, with church.  Part of our message today was Ephesians 2:10.....For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. I love this verse of scripture.  We are God's handiwork, his masterpiece, his work of art.....and we were created for something.  I talk about this often, being created for a purpose.....for an assignment....for a plan.  My goal for my children is always to help them find the purpose they were created for.  I know mine.  Do you?   I believe the Lord delights in us when we seek Him and seek to know His purpose for our life.  This life is not random.  It is not haphazard.   It is not just for this present day or moment.....it is unto something greater.  Each life.  Every life....is precious.  Important.  Relevant....

I did a thing today.  Claire and I went to serve at The Gospel Mission in Sioux City, Iowa.  She had an assignment to do for her social work class that focused on spending time with a vulnerable population.  She had hoped to do this assignment in Haiti over spring break but the political unrest in Haiti prevented her trip.  She chose to spend her time at home instead and found many, many purposeful things to do.  Gosh I am so proud of that kid.  She can be efficient, serious, humble, moral, whimsical, simple and honest.....and brave.....all in one day.  The amount of time I was able to spend with her this past week and a half is obscene.  I shouldn't get to have that much time now that she is 19 and doesn't live here anymore.   I am very grateful.  We arrived at 9am at the facility and spent about 2 hours putting second hand clothing on hangers, buttoning and zipping and straightening garments.  And we talked and we tal...

It is March 4 and we have umpteen inches of snow on the ground in Iowa.  I say "umpteen" because with the wind its hard to tell how much is there but it is a lot.  More than most years, in fact.  This morning it was minus 7 degrees.....and I couldn't find Josiah's boots before school.  I spent about 10 minutes and worked up a (hot flash) sweat trying to find the snow pants and boots and gloves and hats and facemasks after the weekend....only to learn from my children that all the recesses were inside today because it was too cold to play outside.  I am grateful that they didn't have to play outside today.....everyone is sneezing and has a scratchy throat because winter is wearing on us......the cold, the wind, the wet snow tracking everywhere.....we are growing weary of the winter in Iowa.  I tried to have 2 separate conversations with strangers today as I was out and about and both were like this...."It's just so cold"   "yeah, I don't t...

Last weekend Roger and I took the day off on Friday.  We went out of town and my step-mom came to hold down the fort.  We were shopping at the Duluth Trading Company downtown Sioux Falls.  I saw a really big t-shirt in a 4xL and held it up and said that if I wore this shirt I would feel so tiny.  I'm heavier than I want to be and most of the clothing I would like to put on is too small so it was a small reprieve to imagine drowning in a bigger shirt.  Later that night we went to a concert of Bonnie Raitt and James Taylor who are both in their late 60s or early 70s.  We love their music and the concert was awesome.....and we were among the very youngest people there.  This, too, was a welcome break from our normal activities.  Usually we are the older or oldest people in the crowd around us.  We are older parents with younger kids.  We are used to feeling old.  Our little get-away lasted about 36 hours but we felt like we had ha...