So it’s Friday and our week has been b u s y, tumultuous, happy, and emotional. We look forward to our Friday ritual tonight of homemade (gluten-free) pizzas and a movie of the kid’s choosing. We look forward to a weekend, to rest and worship. We give thanks.
Phoebe began her homeschool co-op on Monday, and so we began our own schooling this week as well. It has been really good and really awkward at times, too, just trying to establish some new rhythms and figure out how navigate these new waters. There have already been moans and groans, there have been a multitude of interruptions from two little ones underfoot. There have been potty accidents as Philippa slowly attempts potty training. Phoebe and I are both loving it, though, and my heart is filled with thanks! We have had time to cover a lot of material this week, but also play soccer, ride bikes, play outside, go to the pool, run our usual errands, snuggle together and read, begin a nature journal, press flowers, bake and cook. Schoolwork is sprinkled throughout, and informal learning is emphasized as much as more formal schooling. The younger two kids usually join us for the beginning of our morning work, doing their own little puzzles or coloring worksheets, before scattering off to play. What a privilege and a blessing that we get to do it this way! I don’t want to take it for granted for a second. This is high and holy work!
Phoebe had a bad bike accident on Wednesday around lunch time, all of us cruising back home on our bikes after playing “soccer” at a nearby field. She lost control of her bike and I watched in horror as her bike went down and she slammed her face into the pavement. I grabbed her and saw her front teeth all bent back toward her throat, her mouth bleeding profusely, and we jumped immediately in the van and headed to urgent care. After a thorough check and a visit to her dentist, we breathed great thanks to a faithful God who protected her from serious injury! She will loose her front three teeth soon as a result, and she is bruised and scraped, but for the most part is already carrying on in her usual activities.
This morning she had her year check-up after receiving her diagnosis of Celiac disease last July. She has gained three pounds in the last three months, which is HUGE for our little tiny girl. She has gained almost 10 pounds in the past year! Her BMI has increased, and she is in the 20th percentile for weight, which is a first! We are full of praise once again to our God who has helped us all the way, and who continues to lead us as we seek Phoebe’s health and full recovery.
In all the muddled ordinary of life, it is easy for me to adopt a complaining or entitled heart. It is easy, natural even, for me to miss the moments of extravagant grace hidden in these everyday moments, even the ugly ones.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:18)
I don’t want to give in to what is natural, I want a supernatural life, something that can’t be explained apart from the grace of God. I desire for Him to do this kind of work in me. I want my children to see their mother pursuing deep roots in Jesus, to see their mother turning her heart back to praise, to see their mother making time for creativity, reflection, truth, and beauty.
Gratitude: A Prayer and Praise Coloring Journal arrived on my doorstep this week, a beautiful summons to slow down, to return to the simple yet profound act of giving thanks. It couldn’t have been more timely, after the sort of week we’ve had, brim-full with opportunity to worry, complain, grumble, and give in to exhaustion. I’m excited to dig into this new-to-me format of coloring, of slowing, of turning my mind and heart to thanks, of lingering over scripture and meditating on the simple and profound healing balm. This journal is absolutely stunning, sturdy, quality pages, simple yet arresting designs, bringing scripture to life and giving it feet. I pray that for me it is just one simple tool that helps me keep my eyes fixed on Jesus as I go through each day’s work. Maybe it would be a helpful tool to you, too? If so, this little journal releases in just a few days (Sept. 1).
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Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for a complimentary copy of this beautiful journal in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
everything He gives 