Endurance

I’m so much better with intense experiences that have a finite end.  (unmedicated labor and birth for example)

I lose faith when the situation has no resolution in sight. (my son screaming for long stretches during the day for example)

Yesterday’s Sermon tackled James 5:13-18

I needed to hear it.  I needed to be reminded that I need grace.  I need to plead for grace.  I need to pray rather than stress.  I need to breath in his presence like oxygen.

Self: Hang on to him.  Obey.  And simply do the next thing.  Even when it’s hard.

Counting #2489-2582 of the simple graces that He gives to get me through each day.

  • Doing the next thing
  • Suddenly- 3 loads of laundry and cloth diapers hung
  • Girls cleaning out the dregs of momma’s ice cream with their fingers
  • Getting to snuggle each girl alone
  • Laughing hard at the ingenuity of my daughters using a wax heart from a candle as a crayon
  • Their enthusiasm in helping me clean it from the walls
  • starting the time change sleep change up a week early
  • my mom arriving safely
  • 2 hour naps for everyone
  • deciding to block feed- Sedryn’s tummy is much happier
  • Showing mom how much the girls love Hobby Lobby
  • Hobby Lobby and it’s vocabulary building stock
  • Chick-fil-a Buy 1 get 1 free night 🙂
  • Repentent girl snuggles
  • chubby baby boy snuggles
  • Karen calling late to answer a question in love
  • certainty of a shower tomorrow
  • Going to LBS with just one baby
  • chatting with Tiffany in the hall
  • yummy stuff at teh day old Panera bread table
  • Girls and grandma really enjoying their morning
  • teaching the girls to say patience with a smile on their faces
  • grapes and leftovers
  • overdoing it and being reminded just how dependent I am
  • mustard yellow sweater
  • laughing as little girls told us to put cute petti-skirts “UP!” when we asked if they’d like them
  • A & B rejecting the cutes like fuschia boots with a bow
  • Wishing the boots came in my size
  • Finding out accidentally that I actually like Lattes: at least salted carmel mocha ones
  • Half-finished owl hat
  • Derek and mom teaming up for me to have a rest filled evening
  • New cupcake PJs for sweet girls
  • Quiet day at home
  • baking muffins with the girls
  • homemade water color antics
  • cooking in the kitchent
  • bronwyn snuggling and playing with grandma
  • Aeralind sitting on my lap for a long cuddle
  • Little girls climbing into brother’s crib to snuggle together
  • then demanding that brother join them
  • Having my mom as an extra set of hands
  • wandering Target with Derek alone as a little date evening
  • Sedryn in an infant gown
  • Derek putting the flannel sheets on the bed
  • long nap
  • finally starting my Christmas tree “pants”
  • quiet time at night to spend alone with Sedryn
  • Derek’s grace in consoling Sedryn at night when he doesn’t have to
  • Sedryn usualling only being fussy after 1 night feed instead of all
  • me falling back to sleep faster after night feeds
  • the keyboard/laptop that Sedryn peed on drying out and working normally- with a few new quirks
  • Little Sedryn squeaks
  • Block feeding working for us and my body adjusting
  • opportunity to say “I’m sorry”
  • a strong nursling
  • having a hard time being grateful for Sedryn as he comes out of his newborn sleepy period and learns to exercise his lungs regularly
  • Derek delight in little girls who squeal “Dadi!” when he comes home
  • Bronwyn suddenly have a converastion with me
    “B, why did you wake up last night?”
    “Baby.  Cry.”
    “Do you need me to turn up the ocean?”
    “Ocean.” (smile)
  • Bronwyn telling grandma: “I did that at church!” about a drawing she did almost 2 months ago!
  • 2 hour comatose nap
  • First 3.5 hour stretch at night in awhile
  • Generous early christmast gift from mom: Children’s Museum pass
  • Busy little girls
  • Loving on the giant light peg thing
  • Laughint at the crane together
  • First corndogs
  • Aeralind’s dainty and joyful “lay-DEE bug”
  • Girls who smile and repeat me as I say “patience” when they fight over whose turn it is
  • Brother loving his ERgo
  • Big stars sewn for the tree pants
  • Derek listening to me cry miserably about Sedryn’s multiple 2 hour fussy witching hours
  • little girls devouring spinach
  • needing to lift the camera more
  • me having a thrift store shopping date schedule with Sedryn in the morning
  • Girls headed hiking with daddy
  • weekends
  • Derek sending me to bed so early
  • Finally some good sleep
  • Derek graciously burping/consoling a screaming Sedryn at 1 am
  • feeling like I can’t do it all-such grace for this independent stubborn heart!
  • getting more sleep than when the girls were neworns
  • block feeding putting feeding times down to 15 minutes or so
  • Yummy food still being brought to us
  • flannel sheets
  • painting little toes blue
  • girls who have strong opinions about potential footwear
  • sleep-sleep at all
  • doing the next thing
  • sorting through counting the same numbers twice
  • “dealing with defiance” parenting class coming at the right time
  • Daddy and girls walking ahnd and hand
  • Daddy exploring the children’s museum with his girls
  • Terror of the elevator
  • How parent snuggles cure elevtor fears
  • being close to Love cures fears