Afternoon rambles

Aunt Liana has whisked Gabriel, Bronwyn, Jackson, and Aubrey away for a late-summer stop at the playground. It's a beautiful, sunny, 75-degree day here in Madrid-- too beautiful to not be taken advantage of. My, but the house is so quiet when this sort of thing happens! I hardly know what to do with myself.

On top of being short four children, Claire has finally-- after fighting sleep for the past few days-- succumbed to rest and is peacefully sleeping in her bed, and I am catching my breath for a few minutes.

Whew.

It's been a busy bit as I've done some overhauling here at home in preparation for a new school year. More books/new supplies + limited space = purging, new bookshelves, and creative solutions. This overhauling can't just be limited to school things, though. Oh no. The bedrooms also are being rearranged and reorganized, including toys and dressers and baby things and more. I keep telling myself to hold off on the closets until the summer clothes need to switched out for winter clothes or else I'll be too tempted to get into all of that, too-- and where would that leave us when the temperatures return to the 80s as predicted next week???

This is also the busy time of year for campus ministry, which means that most days we don't see a whole lot of Daniel until after small children have gone to bed and even I have stayed up past my bedtime in order to see him for a few minutes. I don't say that to complain in any way, shape, or form because I've learned that this adventure I'm on with Daniel mirrors that of a farmer's in many ways: the work must be done when the harvest is ripe. It means that some weeks are long and stretch on with no end in sight, but the truth is that the pauses do come and we get to take trips to the beach and there are early arrivals home from the office and in those days I am the girl to be envied and I know it!

Yes, I keep busy here at home and Daniel keeps busy at the church & on the campuses and between us both we find ourselves excited and increasingly ready for all that God has for us this fall. I think one of the lies of our culture is that we will be re-energized when we've taken a break and had our chance for selfish indulgence. Drawing back in order to 1) be with Jesus, 2) re-prioritize the important relationships (family, etc.), and 3) take a fresh look at the things He's called us to, and then diving in with your whole heart: that's how to be renewed (for me, anyway).

Slowly but surely, we're back to establishing and re-establishing routines, order, and attitudes. Back to regular bedtimes and risings. Back to chore charts and systematic evaluation. Back to knowing what the day holds before it's half over.

(Okay, okay... so maybe that last one is wishful thinking on my part!)