Just a January Update

Life updates, in no particular order, just to get them out of my head:

1. We got a dog.  A cute little terrier (from a shelter) who we named Ziggy.  We think he's a border terrier mix, but must've been mixed with a small breed because he maybe stands a foot off the ground.  He's probably the best Christmas gift we've ever given the kids... they're all smitten, and happily taking him for walks, letting him lick their cheeks, playing on the floor with him, etc.
2. I just got back from Istanbul on Thursday.  I flew there (alone) to sort out boxes, sell appliances & extra furniture, and prepare our items for shipment by barge.  It was a busy week there, but productive.  It will be nice to have everything we own in one place again.
3. In the days leading up to my trip, I realized that it would be the first time I'd be alone for longer than 8 hours, since nearly 10 year ago.  I tried to use my time wisely, kind of like a personal spiritual retreat.  It was wonderful to see friends, speak Turkish again, eat baklava, and have so much uninterrupted time to think, pray, and plan for this next season of life.
4. One of the things I was able to do there was to stay with a seasoned mom who has four kids about a decade ahead of ours.  Watching her stay "busy at home" was very challenging to me... I've always known that her house is super-clean, but now I know why-- she works at it nearly all day every day!  It was instructive to me to see the thorough job she did, constantly tidying, wiping down, and preparing for the next thing.  I've continually grown as a homemaker, but I still have a long way to go!
5. This election cycle has been very interesting... the "anyone but Romney" rise, then fall, has happened to a variety of people (Bachman, Perry, Cain, Gingrich, and now Santorum seems to be on the downward swing) over the course of the election, except for Ron Paul, whose numbers continue to rise but not in a sudden way.  It is interesting that the others have all risen without sticking...  and yet, still, Republicans remain uncommitted to Romney.  The establishment clearly wants him as their candidate, but no one else does.  The party clearly needs an overhaul.  The George H.W., Bob Dole, Cheney, Rumsfield, McCain crowd all want Romney, but they're all over 70.  The person they all want least (Paul) is the person who can bring the most principle and the most youth to the party (despite the fact that he is closest of all the Republicans to their age).  I am definitely in the Ron Paul camp, and am currently frustrated with the party.  We need to once again be the "small government, low taxes, humble foreign policy" party... how far we have drifted!  All the things Bush said but did not do are the things that Paul has lived, and has consistently promoted for 30 years... and yet, these are things that now, the party elites are balking at.
   
   They do not like him because they can not control him.  They do not like him because he is unwilling to say what he does not believe.  They do not like him because he dares to hold opinions that vary from their own, because he dares to even question the mistakes of recent Republicans.  We need to be an intelligent, thinking party, and instead, we are being controlled by the rich elite within our party.  It is very discouraging.  I will never vote for Romney.  I could not ever bring myself to vote for someone who I believe will say anything to get elected.  Even Obama at least seems to believe what he says, but that is not true with Romney, nor Gingrich.  Both are political opportunists, and will never have my vote.  Ron Paul is a man of principle and vision, and he has my support, both financially and politically.  I encourage you to take a fresh look at Congressman Ron Paul and consider the direction of our party.  Fellow Republicans, do not let our party be co-opted by smooth talkers and profit-focused opportunists; let our party once again be the party of ideas.  Consider Ron Paul.
6. This is the longest I've gone being neither nursing nor pregnant... and I don't know how all you ladies deal with these hormones.  Good grief; it's basically as if I've had none of it for 10 years, and reentering the world of cramps and headaches and PMS has not been a delightful experience for me.
7. Doug & I are doing a Bible-reading plan together this year, where we read the same book 20 times before moving on to the next-- we've started with Philippians, and I am most shaken and challenged by this verse: (3:3) "glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh."  This seems to be the central verse for me as I've read through Philippians-- again and again- to live is Christ,  have the mind of Christ, our citizenship is in Heaven, rejoice in the Lord, I can do all things through Christ, My God will supply every need.  Essentially, the boiled-down nugget of truth at the center of all of this is "glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh."  I want so desperately for that to be true in my life.
8. My husband is amazing.  He blesses me in more ways than I can enumerate.  I am so thankful for him.  He's currently enrolled in an evening MBA program, so my computer time has been severely curbed, which is good for all of us.  :)  Thus, my blogging has slowed down significantly.

What else?  Oh I'm sure there are more updates I am forgetting, but at least this gets them out and stops the endless blog-avoidance I've been doing as I felt like there was too much to say.  Here's a life update, anyway.  I've got more Bible study thoughts to share, when I have time to write.  

Blessings to you & yours...

How to Get More Scripture

As a mom of little ones, at times it can be so difficult to try to find time for the Word... and yet, it is SO essential!  I have to confess there are times when I've fallen into discouragement & gotten out of the habit of regular intake of Scripture.  However, there is nothing like having God's Word in your heart and mind as you go about life as a mom!  Scripture is necessary for our encouragement, training, and strength... it is what we need as we minister to the people in our family!

Now, I absolutely don't want to contribute to legalism or a sense of failure for anyone out there, but also, I know there are many who are trying to implement new habits in Scripture as you begin 2012.  Some of you have just had a new baby, some are homeschooling several children on different levels, and some of you may be chasing toddlers for what seems like 72 hours each day.  In an effort to encourage your commitment to the Word, I offer up these ideas; use them as you see fit.  Please view none of them as an absolute command... rather, see these as possible methods to utilize.  I hope they will bless you as you seek ways to weave God's Word into your day.

Here are some ways, in various seasons of motherhood, that I've found to get more Scripture in my heart and mind:

• Find an audio Bible that you love to listen to, and download books.  Listen to Scripture as you go about your day... while you're building block towers, putting in a load of dishes, or folding laundry, your mind can be engaged in the Word!
• Set your Bible on the counter and read while you work.  As you flip pancakes or wash dishes, open up your Bible to the place where you are reading.  Read a Scripture or two, and then let your mind focus on that verse while you do the next thing... then look back down and move through a passage a verse or two at a time 
• Wake up early and spend time in the Bible in the quiet of the morning.  This is not something I have gotten into the habit of doing, but I've had friends for whom this works well.  Our apartments and such have always been set up in ways where I would wake up the rest of the household if I got up, and so instead, I've opted to maximize sleep for everyone and find other ways to work Scripture into my days.  But if this works for you, go for it!
• Use your first discretionary time each day to have time in the Word.  Particularly when I have a newborn, I find this method to be the most helpful.  It allows me to get the rest I need to have, and meet my baby & children's needs, but also, once those needs are met, helps me remember not to putz around on the internet or take up a new sewing project with my few free minutes, when I haven't yet spent at least some time in Scripture.  So with this, there's no set "time" or "method" so much as just trying to jump into the Word once I get a few minutes free.  
• Spend more time on a passage, not less.  This may seem counterintuitive, as many Bible reading plans have you going through heaps of Scripture in a day's time, but I've found that I actually benefit more from the message of Scripture when I slow down and focus in on Scripture over the course of days.  For example, for several years in a row, I took a "Book a Month" approach, and let each book's message percolate in my mind over the course of 4-5 weeks.  Then I'd move onto the next book.  That method allowed the heart and soul of each book to get more clear in my mind, as opposed to just sprinting my way through the Word.  Each method of intaking Scripture has its own benefits, but I think particularly as a busy mom of little ones, this idea of parking in one place for a given length of time can give freedom and time to really draw the marrow out of a passage, and not contribute to a sense of feeling perpetually "behind". 
• Read it out loud.  Whatever passage you are reading, read out loud to your children.  Use your voice to emphasize different parts, and let the message of Scripture be heard in your home just as you would do with a read-aloud book on your child's level.

Hopefully one or more of these have given you a new idea or approach to consider.  Perhaps you have another idea or two that could help other moms increase their Scripture intake?  Please share them in the comments!  

7 Quick Takes - #30

Here's another "7 Quick Takes":

1. Herman, please stop.  "Since I've been campaigning all week, I haven't had an opportunity to sit down with her and walk through this with my wife and my family. I will do that when I get back home on Friday," Cain told reporters " -- It's painful to watch his arrogance and lack of concern for his family.  I can't imagine anything that would keep a respectable man from hopping on the next plan to his family, when accused of something like this, if false.  This is horrible to watch, and I wish he'd just retreat and let the Republican race continue without this being the top story.  There are much more important decisions to be made, and this perpetual Herman Cain/women story obscures the importance of the issues & decisions facing Republican voters.
2. Are you listening to Christmas music now?  We are, but I'm kind of bummed, I lost about 1/2 of my Christmas music collection when my computer crashed last year.  I can't abide by cheesy or sub-par Christmas music, so it had taken me a while to build up not just tolerable, but enjoyable Christmas music (Sarah McLachlan, James Taylor, Reliant K, top-notch orchestras -- lots of good stuff).  So for now, I'm mainly settling for Pandora stations.
3. I've been embroidering like mad.  I'm enjoying the fuel-for-ideas that comes from Pinterest.   Here's my embroidery board, if you want to get an idea of what I've been doing.
4. Our ladies' Bible study group has been working through the book "What Did You Expect?", and though the cover looks like it was written in 1983, it was only published last year and is a wonderful book about marriage, expectations, and sanctification as believers.  It's very convicting in the very best ways.
5. Doug's at an interview right now, as I type.  This whole transition (our family deciding to stay here in America) has been faith-rebuilding for me, as once again, God reminds me of how much He has always cared for and provided for us.  So many verses come to mind: "Remember the Lord," "The Father of Lights", "The Lord is near," "Forget not His benefits," "He cares for you," "Consider the birds of the air," "The Lord will indeed give what is good."  That is not to say I believe that God will make us wealthy or always comfortable, or that everything will be smooth and easy, but I really am confident that our needs will be met, because He cares for us.
6. Yelling in anger.  Do you yell in your home?  I didn't until our oldest was about 4 or 5, and suddenly, the stress overpowered my will power, and down went the house of cards.  I began yelling at the children when I reached that "boiling point"; it became a pressure valve.  I'd rarely (almost never) yelled at Doug, but began yelling at the kiddos, and I've always hated it.   And of course they hate it too.
   
   So yesterday when a friend and I were discussing this sinful habit of ours, she shared something challenging and convicting-- that she was trying to fully get her head around the idea that God can help her stop it completely.  That it IS possible to never yell again.
   
   Something about that flipped a switch in my brain.  I began thinking and praying more fervently last night... I know it is God's will that I not yell in anger at my kiddos (I say "in anger", because I have no problem yelling a name across the house if I'm cooking and need to tell them something... I just want to ditch the angry yelling), and I know that they hate it.  It is hurtful and it is like poison in our home.  It changes the tone and uses intimidation and bullying to accomplish the desired effect, rather than patiently continuing to teach and love them.  I would never throw acid in my child's face, and yet, I will spew angry words?  That doesn't make sense, and it's not right.
   
   So I am praying that God will work this change in my life... that He will restrain me, that He will enable me to be self-controlled and REMEMBER the distasteful nature of this sin.  That I will not excuse it, or justify it, but that He will help me cut it out of my life.  Please ask me about it.
7. Check out this bit of hilarity:  Jeff Tweedy (lead singer of Wilco) singing the Black Eyed Peas' "I Got A Feeling".  It shows the inanity of pop-song lyrics.

7 Quick Takes Friday - #29

1. Hope you had an incredibly restful Thanksgiving.  It's my favorite holiday.  Downtime with family... excellent food... no stress of gifts... no one's in too big a hurry. I just love it.  We feasted like kings, and I got to hold my one-month-old niece-- joy!
2. We're staying in America.  That's right, not heading back in January.  We'll continue to be here in Texas, able to love on family & friends in person.  If you're one of our (real-life) friends and this is the first you've heard of it, I'm sorry... we made the decision about 2-3 weeks ago, and have let it out in waves.  
3. Yes, that means lots is changing for us... looking for a job, house, couches, mattresses, sheets, dishes... wow.  We may end up shipping some of that back from Istanbul; we're working out logistics over the next few weeks.  Still, lots of changes coming our way.  I'd appreciate your prayers.
4. Black Friday-- you venturing out?  My mom & I are... I think we'll go to Joann's, and then I need to get socks for my youngest three children.  Somehow, every time we go to leave the house, none of them can find any socks.  We are, apparently, the Clampetts.
5. I'm LOVING this book Margin by Kevin Swenson.  If you haven't read my last few posts about Margin, you should.  This book has its finger on the pulse of the entire modernized world, and I think the author really has some challenging words.  
6. Weight Watchers is so awesome.  I love being able to eat real food, and even enjoy crazy-good-food holidays like Thanksgiving and still be a-ok weight-wise.  I've now lost 20 pounds, and still have about 20 more pounds to go.  
7. Whatcha thinking about this Republican field of nominees for 2012?  Here are my thoughts: 

• Perry is embarrassing, and Cain is just underwater now... between his women issues and his continued misspeaks, even if he is a good leader, he is just a rotten candidate.  I wish either of these men (or both!) would be humble enough to recognize that they are a drag on the race and resign, but no, they just keep right on.  
• Romney had a weird blip this week.  He was in a good position, to just wait it out and hope for Republicans come to the conclusion of his inevitability, but then he went and made this ad where he completely misrepresents something Obama said.  It's a flat-out lie.  I don't understand the reasoning behind this decision; he was sitting pretty and is now potentially in hot water.
• Gingrich has somehow positioned himself as a smart, potentially palatable non-Romney.  I think he and Romney are battling it out for the top.
• Paul is continuing to present the message of freedom and not being the world's bully.  People don't like that last part so much... but really, how has that approach (the "bring it on" mentality) worked for the last 12 or so years?  There's a reason why Ron Paul gets more donations from the US military servicemen than all other candidates combined.  He knows what he's talking about, in regard to both the budget & foreign-policy.
• Bachman & Huntsman have actually both appeared more presidential & commanding with foreign policy issues in recent debates.  It is possible that one of them might have a chance, but it's a slim chance.  
• Santorum's campaign confuses me.  I don't really know anyone who supports him and it makes me wonder if he's trying to run for veep?

What say you?  About the debate or any of the rest of this rambly post... I'd love to hear your thoughts.