Wild Weeks

If weeks only had warning labels...

We would avoid those weeks!

This has been one of those weeks I would have preferred to have skipped. Last week was a wild ride as well, but this week added a sick boy, a fall, and a very close call with a blue car.

On the other hand, I keep seeing things like this...

We don't know what a day, a week, a month, a year is going to bring. We may not feel as if we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We may not believe that the cloud could even remotely have a silver lining. But if we look, there are little reminders along that way that God IS with us and once we have pressed on though the test there is a crown waiting for us.

Case in point, this tidbit that popped up on facebook when I was ready to tear my hair out...

Remain FAITHFUL folks and remember we DO know where we will end up once the trials have passed. We have a home in heaven waiting for us! 

Respite

From time to time I hear the question, "How do you do it?" or the statement, "I don't know how you do it." The answer - The grace of God! That and the fact that it all just seems "normal"... well until that moment when you have dropped your special needs child off at respite care and suddenly ALL energy drains from your body and you aren't sure how you are going to keep walking down the hall let alone drive home! OH wait, now that said child is in respite, there are errands to run... do we really need to eat this week? Couldn't I skip the grocery shopping? Nope - the store has chocolate and ice cream 😂

Usually, we try to get Joshy into respite at least twice a month. Often times, especially during the school year, it ends up being just 1 night / 2 days. I am finding that 1 night / 2 days, just doesn't cut it. Yesterday when I dropped him off, I was hit hard by the energy drain - pretty sure it has something to do with him only sleeping all night about once a week... for the past 3-4 months! Thing is I honestly didn't realize I was so exhausted. After a night a actual sleep, I am still tired, with very little energy. I am also beyond thankful that I don't need to pick him up for another 31 hours & 15 minutes, but who's counting 😉

Then I stop and remember, there are caregivers out there that don't have respite care. Those who are doing the job without family support. Those who do not have day service or other options to give them any break at all. If I am this exhausted when I have support, how exhausted must those without support be? 

This brings me up short, because we are told to...

"Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

LORD help me to keep my eyes open for ways that I can help others carry their burdens!

Evolution of Clean

Our evolution of clean all started about 6 years ago when Kei's emotional health was rock bottom. In the process to find balance we attempted to rid the house of as many chemicals as possible... natural shampoo (for Kei), natural laundry detergent, natural "girl" products, etc... We also started her on various supplements to avoid harsher drugs, the brief window when she was on drugs was not pretty, nor did they seem to help. Over time, a precarious balance has been achieved. As long as life doesn't throw too many changes her way all is well. If maintaining balance means no chemicals, then that is a small price to pay...except chemical free products are often a little pricey. 

The biggest evolution of clean has been in the laundry department. Somewhere along the line, I started using soap nuts, which worked well, but were a bit of a pain - especially for young laundry students (The girls started being responsible for their own laundry when they hit high school). I then switched to a soap nut derived liquid detergent - which is easy peasy to use but pricey. Off and on I've toyed with the idea of making my own laundry detergent, but have always bulked at getting all the ingredients - a daunting and somewhat costly pursuit when attempting to find Japanese equivalents or imported products. 

This leads me to today... 

I just finished baking Baking Soda in an attempt to make Washing Soda, a main ingredient in homemade laundry detergent. 

My next step was making liquid laundry detergent using this recipe.

I am honestly surprised at how simple the process was, even with the added step of making my own washing soda. I think the most complicated thing might be figuring out earthquake tie downs for the 2 gallon sized glass jugs. 

So was it a success? It IS considerably cheaper!! How it actually works - we'll have to see how everything comes out in the wash 😄

BTW - I will also be making Laundry Scent Booster as soon as Amazon delivers my order of Epsom salt. 

Stillness

This past week several things have come up to remind me to be still. 

ONE

Last week was a crazy week with 3/4 of my once a month classes converging into 1 week. Add doctor appointments for Joshy, Kei, & I with an additional twist - the abscess in Joshy's arm we though was gone came back, so an additional doctor appointment was needed. There was also an influenza scare - one of my students was in class Wednesday and came down with influenza on Thursday then a Friday student, who was still under the "influenza quarantine", decided to go ahead and come to class on Friday anyway. All on top of the fact that Joshua seems to have a new year's resolution to start the day in the wee hours. Needless to say, I was more than ready for short stay - 2 nights & 3 days - to chill out... and like... sleep! 

However, I have a new year's resolutions, too: to exercise & eat right. Exhaustion really messes with willpower! For the 1st time this year I did not make my step goal on either Friday or Saturday 😓  I was feeling guilty, then I saw the following meme:

Resting, being still, is needed.

TWO

A meme I posted 7 years ago, when Joshy was in the cancer center, popped up on Facebook memories. He had already been hospitalized for 4 months and the end was not in sight. He blood counts were not rebounding as quickly as anticipated. It was rough all the way around; Jerry & the girls were at home fighting record snow, classes - Jerry was teaching his classes & mine, homeschooling without a teacher, in general - life without us being together, while Joshy and I were stuck in the hospital with nothing but lab work and transfusions to fill the hours.  The reminder of "Be still. God is in control." was a much needed, gentle reminder to trust the LORD.

THREE

Sunday's memory verse was:

"Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord." Romans 12:19

The message was from 1 Samuel 24:1-7. David had every opportunity to take revenge against King Saul, but he didn't. In another reference, 1 Samuel 26:10, David left revenge in the LORD's hands.

"As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.""

Another verse from the message was:

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

My over all take on the message was; relax, be still, and trust God to handle the situation. Taking matters into our own hands isn't God's will. 

Pulling the randomness of this post together:

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

God has every situation under control.

No Matter How Small

Social media always has its share of politically correct posts & memes. Recently, with all the news of new abortion laws being passed, it seems like you can't even think Facebook without an abortion meme popping up. The pendulum swings between everything is acceptable to nothing is acceptable. Sharing a meme is an easy way to state your opinion. If you look at my Facebook page you can see where I basically stand, but a meme does not give any real details or reasons behind ones belief, so I thought I'd try to put a few thoughts down on "paper".

Two of the many scriptures that stand out to me the most are found in Psalms and Isaiah.

          "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my
           mother’s womb." Psalm 139:13

          "Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb
           he has spoken my name." Isaiah 49:1

These verses tell me that God knows each and every child that is conceived. He knows who they are, who they will become. He knows how the pregnancy is going to go, if there will be problems or not. He knows if they will have blond hair and blue eyes, if they will be a boy or a girl. He knows if they will have downs syndrome or cerebral palsy. He knows this. He also does not make mistakes. When we try to take control of a situation, when we abort a baby because of a possible defect or not so perfect timing, then we are saying that God made a mistake.


           "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
            your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

The scripture doesn't say. I am fearfully and wonderfully made only IF I am perfect. It says I am fearfully and wonderfully made... period. Even a child with sever disabilities is still fearfully and wonderfully made and fits into God's perfect plan. Is it easy to have a child with a disability? NO! Can God still use that child? YES! 

Abortion is a sin, just like a whole list of sins listed through out the Bible. However, in some ways I see abortion is a double sin, because not only is it a sin against the mother's own body, it is also a sin against another human being, an innocent, helpless person. Abortion stops a life. It is murder and murder is  one of the "big 10" sins listed in the 10 Commandments. I know that sin is sin, but when a sin is listed in the "top 10" I can't help but feel that it is a little more serious. Another thought, when one sins against their own body, it is sin, it is wrong. However, when someone sins against another person the sin has a larger ripple effect - more people a effected by it - it feels bigger.

As a Christian, I am called to love. However, it must be remembered that love does not mean that I love or accept the sin. I am to love the person, but hate the sin. In today's society, people seem to be confused between the person and the action. There seems to be an idea that if you hate an action then you hate the person - which is just another of Satan's lies meant to pull people away from God. Real love sometimes means telling someone that what they are doing is wrong. This telling needs to be done in a loving way, but it also needs to be  done in a way that shows the seriousness of the situation.

Heart Focus

There are days when everything just seems to work together. Sunday was one of those days.

Sunday’s quiet time verse (Colossians 3:16)

Sunday’s responsive reading (Psalms 119)

Sunday’s message (1 Samuel 16:1-13)

“Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart—”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭119:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭16:7‬b NIV‬‬

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:13 NIV

💓 Make sure your heart is right 💓

New

New Year 

New Day 

New Life

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

                                    Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)

One of my New Year Resolutions is to get back into blogging. Blogging was a relaxing release for me, but the blogging community I liked changed and I don't really like change. I found a new forum, but kept remembering the past blog community which made adjusting to the new community burdensome. I finally gave up. This year, however, I want to give blogging another shot... a new shot.

Today's thought...

"As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message." Galatians 2:6

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

Then and now are not the same. The life I lived before Christ is not the same life I live in Christ. IF my life before Christ is the same as my life after Christ then there is something wrong because before Christ was not living in me, but after He is living in me. 

Trying to keep living in the past is not the answer whether it is a simple blog forum or an important life event... then is not now. The same is even more true in our spiritual walk. When we accept Christ. When Christ comes to live in us. We are called to put our past sin behind us, not to keep dredging it back up. Not to keep going back to it because it is familiar and, shutter, we might even like it. It needs to be left BEHIND. This is a decision Christians are called to make each and every day. Leave the past behind and live in the now - live IN Christ. But you know what - each and every morning Christ give us a new dose of compassion, love, and grace. We just need to focus forward rather than trying to look back.

Happy New Day!