So bad, but so loved

I just read a blog post on religion vs. the gospel that breathed new life into my day, especially these words:

My self-view is not based on a view of my self as a moral achiever. In Christ I am “simul iustus et peccator”—simultaneously sinful and yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. Neither swaggering nor sniveling.

The way Christ's sacrifice unites the dichotomy of a sinful heart and a beloved child of God brings so much peace and clarity to my mind. If you have a minute (though you could ponder it for much longer) read the rest of the post. It is well worth your time.

7 months - OR - Bunny Cruelty

Obviously this photo shoot didn't go quite the way I wanted it to.

Friday Reflections

It seems earlier than 11:30 pm. I should be tired, but a quiet house and the promise of the remainder of the weekend are luring me into staying up. So I might as well post my Friday Reflections so I can at least have something to feel accomplished about when I'm bemoaning my lack of sleep tomorrow.

1. Last weekend was full of time in the car, family, and potato salad. And I mean 40 lbs. of potato salad. I guess if we're talking poundage, my family wins out over potato salad...but that's beside the point. Daniel had his graduation open house last weekend, so we trekked up to Muskegon and helped my mom and dad get ready for the party. It was nice just to be home and work on stuff together. James got right to work and didn't stop moving from early in the morning (this kid gets up early!) till late at night. And when he finally got in bed at night, that kid was asleep in less than a minute.

2. *Guest reflection by Andy* - I've found it's very tiring to be a stay at home dad. Also, if you feed a baby lots of broccoli, her dirty diaper will smell exactly like broccoli. Exactly.

3. It's really nice when your husband volunteers to go grocery shopping. It's very important to bite your tongue when you see there are very few vegetables.

4. I'm realizing that I really miss baking. I'm not exactly sure where I could fit it in, but I'm going to try. Even though it's probably not recognized as a creative art form, I think it's creative. And you get to eat your final product. :)

5. Welcome back Casi!! Even though you're still far away from me, I'm glad you're back in your own home and hopefully resting up from a long week.

4. 

On my mind

I really like blogging. It gives me a space to allow my thoughts to be known and heard, first to myself, and then to anyone who happens to stop by. It's good for me to edit my thoughts and organize the blur of activities into recognizable memories for myself.

But there are so many great blogs out there, and even though it's just about the worst thing you can do for yourself, I sometimes end up comparing my blog (life) with their blogs (lives), and theirs just seem so much more inspired, full of moments captured in light drenched photos, impossibly delicious food, funny little happenings, poignant moments of realization. Meanwhile my life seems really full of hasty meals on the run, scrambling to get to baseball games on time, laundry, trying not to look too closely at the floors in my house, and ever-growing to-do lists. Now I know that everyone has dishes and errands and busy schedules and that we just post about the things that bring us joy to make the other stuff more bearable. But it seems like everyone else has more time/creativity/energy/fun in their lives to blog about. And yes I am totally whining right now.

This is a perspective problem. A heart problem really. My life is full of beauty, love, relationships, undeserved grace, and more than I could possibly need. But on most days, I choose to focus on the things I find stressful, and I choke the joy out. I tell myself others have more opportunities to relax and enjoy the moments of laughter and joy in their days, and I wonder when I will be able to slow down and do the same. And I'm beginning to realize the answer is not more free time or better pictures or writing more creative posts. It's just experiencing the moments of my day when they happen instead of waiting for everything to be perfect before I can enjoy them.

Now that I have that on the table, I can get back to posting. I hope. :)

Friday Reflections - in pictures, words, and video

1. James voluntarily getting sprayed by the hose on Memorial Day because it was so hot. We did a little shopping and then just hung out all day. Andy and I realized the night before Memorial Day that we are really bad at making plans. That used to be great with just the two of us - we'd end up relaxing and actually getting to see each other. But now it seems sort of lame not to make plans. We'll have to work on that. :)

2. Andy is officially Mr. Mom as of yesterday. Normally he paints during the summer, but this year he's staying at home with Hazel and James. I'm really looking forward to just coming home and putting my feet up. After I eat the dinner he made of course.

3. We don't have an action shot, but James got a homerun last night in his baseball game! Our excitement was exceeded only by his. He was still excited this morning too. :)

4. I'm getting ready to head home to Michigan for my sister's bridal showers this weekend. I'm not sure how it's possible that my little Bweeza is getting married, but it's happening!

5. Hazel is getting so old already! She celebrated Memorial Day by getting her first tooth AND saying mama. :)