Wanting to see us all serve Him with more abandonment... Tired of the way we excuse our compromises... Wondering how long it will take for us to call entanglements what they are... Hoping He will break us out of the petty desires we accomodate much more quickly than His desires.

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I had a wonderful past two days with Mom and Danica. We shopped and shopped and shopped. Not only should non-shoppers be glad to have missed our trip, even most shoppers would probably be thrilled to not have been with us. Both Wednesday and Thursday our shopping days didn't end until the stores had closed and we literally could not accomplish another thing. With aching feet and sore legs/backs, we triumphantly arrived home--lots and lots of bags stashed all over the mini-van we traveled in. I might not hunt for deer or anything like that, but the past couple days were nothing less than setting out and conquering! I have a couple little things to continue looking for, but otherwise the shopping is completely done--complete with wrapping paper and ribbon. Now I just have to work on closing on the house that I would very much like to celebrate much of the holiday season in!

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A number of good friends from Pittsburgh gave me a gift before I moved up here, and then shortly after moving here a generous individual that I barely know gave me another gift. With these funds I have purchased all new bedding--down to decorative pillows--for my bed. I've never had the bedding I'd hoped for, so it has been extremely fun to pick everything out. I even have a set of flannel sheets along with beautiful Ralph Lauren cotton sheets (purchased at TJMaxx for a literal fraction of what they would have cost at a Ralph Lauren home store).

My next purchase item is a dresser--hopefully two, if I can find good deals--for the bedroom. Otherwise, the bed will the only nice looking thing in a room that has piles of clothing all over the floors. :)

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I am amazed at the goodness of God. He carries us through and above so many things that ought to be to our undoing. The more of life I see, the more heartache I witness, and the more opportunity to be amazed at God I have.

Check him out!

I sat in on a bed in the ER and the nurse commented on how ridiculous it is that doctors in the area don't keep Rhogam in their offices as it means patients visiting the ER to get a quick and simple shot. I couldn't have agreed more. The medical procedures and processes around here are something I would quickly change if I could. But the nurse was nice and only made me wait around 20 minutes instead of the usual 30 since she figured I would be fine as I've had the shot several times before and with no problems.

A visit to the grocery store followed. I like North Country grocery stores. They're nothing like trips to the Wal-Mart in North Versailles--something absolutely frightening and worth avoiding at all costs (literally!). The store here is small and the produce is fresh. I bought Cortland apples for $0.68/lb and picked up a gallon of milk for $1.99. As the cashier rang my groceries up, another employee bagged all the food and loaded my cart. Someone I knew came up and said hello as I made my purchases, and that is always pleasant. The whole experience is do-able and rather nice. I think I could even pull it off with three children under three years of age.

Tonight Louissa and I will make macaroni and cheese for dinner and Danica will make a yummy pumpkin cake. I bought bread and salad. Dad won't be here, but we'll still have family dinner. It will be nice.

In the meantime, I need to pull some food together for my husband, who is currently stripping old paint off our dining room chairs so that he can paint them black. His days off have been taken over with such projects, and I'm very appreciative for his efforts. I figure the least I can do is re-heat some soup or chili!

Oh yeah--the kids need to eat, too. Sometimes I forget... :)

The enemy has stolen. He has robbed over and over and over again. I look around and see the devastation--lives ravaged and broken, laid to waste, overwhelmed, confounded and stunned.

And yet...

There is One who came to restore the years that the locust has eaten. There is One whose death won for us a victory that nothing--nothing--can take away. There is One who rose from the grave and defeated our foe on our behalf.

This weekend as I listened to hundreds of young people's voices rising in song, tears filled my eyes. With wet cheeks and a humbled heart, I joined in:

How great is our God
Sing with me, How great is our God
All will see how great
How great is our God

I'm heading out of town for the weekend with husband and a whole lot of college students. My children will stay here with family while I am gone. I think it will be a very good time--even just because it will be a weekend shared with Daniel. Between church and children and [now] home demands, it is far too easy for Daniel and I to become people who work toward common goals together but fail to simply be together.

Whenever I am gone, I miss Gabriel and Bronwyn so much. At times I can be so frustrated by the lack of personal space and time alone in motherhood, but most of the time I am incredibly grateful for their companionship. They are a constant in my life, and one I am very grateful for. It's hard to imagine a day when there aren't little ones needing me. I think not having to stay home with small children will be much harder than having to stay home with them.

I don't particularly like starting trips as tired as I am this morning, but tonight and tomorrow night I'll be the youngest person sleeping in my hotel room.

At any rate, suitcases are packed. Clothes for the kids are laid out to make dressing them each morning simpler. I will miss my first Sunday as [again] a member of CFC. Gabriel will play drums in the front row and cry about going to the toddler nursery. Bronwyn will fall asleep on someone's shoulder (probably Carina's) during worship and then be happy to explore the dolls and kitchen sets in the infant nursery. I will be a couple hours away, sharing in a what should be a wonderful experience in the Lord with Daniel and students.

A walk by myself--a whole mile worth of thoughts and prayer and quiet. The wind that made me struggle physically brought a release emotionally. I needed some time. I needed a chance to tell the Lord of my disappointments... ask for His forgiveness... experience His grace... be renewed in hope. To some, it may have seemed as though it was just a 15-minute jaunt around this little town I now call home; but to me, it was His presence--so available if I will only make myself available--felt and known.

I enjoyed taking a walk/jog around town this morning.

I did not enjoy waking up.

I enjoyed drinking a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

I did not enjoy saying goodbye to Daniel.

I enjoyed watching Gabriel play "drums" with washable markers.

I did not enjoy the round of increasingly painful Braxton-Hicks.

I enjoyed reading my little guys a few stories.

I did not enjoy being cold even after coming in from outdoors.