Little Children

I'm not sure that's the right title for this post.  (For anyone that attended today's service at GBIC, I feel like I'm channeling Pastor John right now.  But I don't have a better title, so, so be it.)

Anyway.  Last fall I started attending Women's Bible Study as West Shore EFree Church.  It's a huge program and I know a lot of women that attend it, and I made several new friends.  I started going with my friend, and really, REALLY enjoyed the study we chose.  In the spring, I invited another friend of mine to come with me, and in addition to her another friend from church joined us.  Now there were four of us in this class.  And, again, I really, REALLY enjoyed the study.

Independently, the friend I had not intentionally invited, and I were both feeling like we needed to have a Women's Bible Study at our own church.  Walking past the rolling cart of group Bible Study materials, I saw a video series by the same woman I had just taken two classes of, and really, REALLY enjoyed.  Bingo!  I checked it out, we made plans, we talked to the pastor at church and rolled with it.

In October, we (I) officially started leading this Women's Bible Study.  Can I just say - leading ANY Bible Study was never on my radar of things to do.  Never on any bucket list of mine.  But I have so, SO enjoyed it.  And my friend, well, she's had a lot of life changes, and I feel as though I have somewhat bulldozed through another project "we" were spearheading, and run with it by myself.  Not sure how she feels about that.  But I guess if it were a problem, she would have approached me?  Something to digest another day.

So, how does all this relate to my little children?  Well, I'll tell you.  I have been studying and reading and enjoying learning more about my Lord.  I have been intentional about talking about what I'm learning.  I (we, parents) have made it an (almost) nightly routine to read bedtime devotions and pray before bed.  The kids and I pray in the car on the way to school each morning (almost every morning).  It's been a slightly different atmosphere than in the past.  I feel it; some people who know me have noticed it.  I'm cool with that.

Tonight - tonight was harvest night.  Tonight, daddy left for St. Louis for the week.  The kids and I drove him to the airport - just to have a few extra minutes with him.  (Who needs tv?!)  And as we were driving along, our dear daughter said from the backseat, "Daddy, can I pray for you before you go on your trip?"  And her sweet, sweet, honest, from the heart of a child's prayer brought tears to our eyes.  It was so amazing.  So, so amazing.

I can take no credit.  I probably model "good Christian behavior" about 6% of the time I spend with her.  But I am hopeful.  Hopeful that she will continue to love her Jesus and be bold about her faith.  She has been saying for the past few months how excited she is to move up to the youth group at our church.  Our church, for anyone that isn't familiar, has gone through a bit of a rough patch with youth ministers.  What was once a thriving, vibrant nugget of our church has been ravaged.  It's barely a whisper of the awesomeness it used to be.  There was a time period where we didn't even invite friends to events at our church.  We just weren't in the right place.  I am hopeful we are on the right track.  And the mere fact that my daughter is excited to join that group - that gives me hope.  And I'm excited for her to join that group too, because then I can join as well. 

Kids are where it's at, people.  Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."  What kids see and do as young people, they will continue to do as they grow up.  Lemme be honest here - I see the other 94% of my behavior modeled by my daughter too.  And it's not pretty.  And it's something I need to work on.

That's my story for today.

Back into the Blogging World

So I'm thinking about getting back into the blogging world.  I don't know exactly what that entales (entails?) just yet.  But it's been a lingering thought for a short while now and I am learning through Bible Study that "random" thoughts are not so random, and thoughts that keep coming back should probably be listened to.  SOOO.  After much searching, I found my old blog and even successfully logged in (clearly, as I am posting - duh).

So, as I let the thought of publishing my random thoughts to the world wide web, I am pondering, 1) What could I possibly have to say that would be able to benefit someone else?  2) Should I start a brand new blog?  3) Should this blog be about me, what I'm learning as I go through life, more about the kids (as it previously had been), or what?

I attempted a new blog about a year ago - the intention was the chronicle (not sure that's the word I really want to use, but I digress) my Pinterest attempts.  Now, there are lots of blogs out there (Pinstrosity, for one) that feature people's failed attempts at creating items they find on Pinterest.  I don't want to recreate the wheel.  I'm also not good at documenting myself.  That blog has sat dormant for, like I said, about a year, with a whopping 2 posts.  Lame.  I know.

I do chronicle a lot of life via Facebook.  But I don't think I can print that.  I'm thinking it might be nice to be able to print out blog posts some day and let the kids read about our escapades.  Cuz I'm clearly on the ball with the scrapbooking (has it been mentioned that the 8 year old boy still does not have a baby book?  Yeah).  While I have successfully organized all the kids papers and pictures and artsy creations since PreSchool into folders and file organizers....I have yet to get out the tape runner and actually apply it to anything.

I have lots of projects pinned on Pinterest and a beautiful craft room waiting for me to come make something.  And yet, the siren call of the couch is so alluring....

I haven't been sleeping well - and I think I use that as a crutch for days when I accomplish next to nothing (I do get dressed - so that's something).

I see I have been all over the board with just this post.  Perhaps a little organization is in order, eh?  I will see what I can work up over the weekend.  Until then, if you have any brilliant ideas......

~C