A Few Favorites

I've been enjoying lately:

1. Paint! 

My living room is newly painted Silver Cliff.

Today Brian hung the white sheers.

It looks so bright and inviting.

I can't wait for the furniture to arrive.

2. Gotye!

  My new favorite song has been on repeat.

Love.

3. The Universe Next Door by James W. Sire

 I am going through the list of education books that my sweet friend, Naomi, recommended.  She is a classical, Christian educator.  This is an excellent and highly useful book of  introductions to worldviews.  The author gives clear, concise intros to theism, deism, naturalism, Marxism, nihilism, existentialism, Eastern monism, New Age philosophy, and postmodernism.  Our children are growing up in a world of ever increasing diversity, and I think it's essential to educate ourselves, as well as our children, about the variety of worldviews that they will be encountering.  May our children love Jesus and His Word, shining as educated lights in this super dark world.

4. II Corinthians 12:8-10

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

Paul asked the LORD to deliver him from his thorn in the flesh, but His answer didn't arrive in the way Paul had hoped.  Instead, God gave him the strength of Christ.  I am all too guilty of wanting the "thorn" to be gone instead of hoping for Christ's strength to endure that which God has called me to (because only HE knows BEST!).  Weakness is truly a blessing in disguise.  Why?  Because "Paul's weakened condition made room for the strength of Christ, a strength he would need for all that lay ahead, a strength that would give him a larger capacity to enjoy the blessings that God had in store for him," (Brownback, Trust, p. 108).  

Divine grace is sufficient.

I need to stop resisting and stop anxiously waiting for a way out.

Divine grace is sufficient.

If we are willing, we will find that we don't need God to remove the "thorn".

Yes, divine grace is sufficient.

I am praying that for those I love who have chronic illness and/or pain.

I am reminded, again, of  Erin Fray.  Please pray for her!

In light of those with chronic illness, me being on day #11 of some stupid head cold/sinus infection seems pretty insignificant.  But, I too, covet your prayers.  I am just not feeling well and have no energy like I normally do.  I did start an antibiotic yesterday....hoping it helps!  Praying I can get through my aerobics class tomorrow.

And lastly, #5:

My boy.

 He wanted to wear Mommy's hat.

And he wanted Mommy to wear his hat.

It didn't fit.