outlook

Perspective is everything. Most people have heard the saying about the glass being "half full". Well I am historically a "glass half empty" type of person. Merl says it is pessimism or negativism. Often I call it realism - however this would not fit all circumstances. I have been reflecting lately on my attitude and trying to improve mine. This week's reading from "When Grace Comes Home" by Terry L. Johnson for small group at church was on outlook so I was again challenged:

"Those who are certain that what happens happens by the hand of God look at life differently than those who don't. They have a distinctive outlook. The conviction that 'God is the author of my circumstances' enables the believer to live life with unparalleled peace and joy." This is because of:

Sovereignty and gratitude: "You can be grateful in every circumstance in life because your circumstances are the means God uses to save your soul."

Sovereignty and contentment: My life verse has always been Philippians 4:13 - 'I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.' Most of the time I took the verse out of context - or prayed it for my own good......though now I am looking at it in a different light - or really challenging myself to BELIEVE it. "I can be joyful and content through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians by Tracy :)

How was Paul content 'in any and every circumstance.'? Johnson says, "Christ is in it. It is His will for the Apostle Paul to be in the circumstances he is in. So He strengthens him for the tasks which he is called. If you believe Christ is sovereign, that He has called you into the circumstances you encounter, then you should be content. (gulp)......Contentment requires that we not only know that God is in everything, but that we trust Him as well......The sovereign God who is Goodness itself has called you into your circumstances. It is not an accident. It is not bad luck. These are His purposes for you. Believing this and trusting God is the key to your peace and contentment."

Sovereignty and hope: "My very weakness is the opportunity for God to demonstrate His power."

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME

Johnson states: "I can live with adversity. I can have peace amidst turmoil, joy amidst suffering......I can conquer defects in my character. I can gain victory over my anger....All the flaws and failings of my personality, all the hardships and imperfections of my environment, all the conflict and dissension in my relationships can be overcome because we serve a sovereign God. In Christ Jesus we are 'more than conquerors,' says the Apostle (Rom 8:37)."

I guess the sky is the limit.

1st swim meet

Ryan (50m breaststroke) gunning after the big boy next to him!

Madison (50m backstroke)

Ryan having a "moment of silence" before stepping on the blocks....

Ryan (50m butterfly)

Madison takes a dive!

Madison (50m butterfly)

We are all exhausted from spending a long morning at Madison and Ryan's first swim meet ever! All I know is I am beat, have a headache and have no idea what is for dinner - I can't imagine how tired they are - yet they don't seem phased! We got to the meet at 7:30am (5 of us with dad to meet us almost 2 hours later) - Allie and Jonathan were such good sports as the morning wore on and we were up and down all around trying to keep the races straight. This was my first swim meet ever as well ----- races on land around a track are more what I know - so it felt so crowded all of us on a pool deck! It was mayhem trying to figure out the order of events - heats - lanes, etc. Interesting experience! I guess all that counts is that the kids had fun!

Madison had hoards of girls in her age group (8-10 yr. olds) - sometimes over 50 in one race so it was a challenge to place in the top 10 - but she still swam strong. Ryan placed 5th in his butterfly and 8th in breaststroke. He is at the bottom of the barrel so to speak in his age group as he is 8. These are "recreational" meets which means that there are not judges and therefore no disqualifications. The kids can get a feel for what to expect at USA swimming meets if they compete at that level. We are all getting our feet wet and learning - the kids how to race and Merl and I how to manage the heat, 4 kids, taking pictures/video and not miss a race! I am sure we will all improve next time!

mops and marriage

Most who know me would agree that I can be stubborn - reluctant to take the advice of others. My husband calls me "feisty". Sometimes I think he is glad I am that way - other times - well not so glad. The more I am learning about God's grace the more I am realizing that often it is my pride that is the problem. Submission is an issue as well..... submission to a loving God and submission to a loving husband. I, Miss Feisty tend to struggle with complying with what the Lord would want for me - which then trickles down to wrestling with the wishes of my husband. Most of the time really when he makes suggestions it is really for my own good - I am just too busy defending myself and my ways to see it.

Which brings me to mops. For the almost 3 years we've had our "new" remodeled house with tile floor I have wrestled with keeping it clean. Sixteen feet (yes count them, 6 humans and 1 dog) traipse in and out all day which leaves me crazy about the dirty floor. The day we moved in our house Merl said "You should buy an industrial mop and bucket". OK - but then you have to have one of those special buckets to ring it out and well - owning an industrial mop means this is serious business - like we have a big family or something. So, being too busy being right with my own opinion, I did my own thing and purchased some twist mop thing that has a replaceable head. Seems smart - then I can freshen it up when it gets dingy - no problem. Except for the fact that the mechanism to replace the thing is the most idiotic arrangement I've ever encountered! The first time I replaced it it took 1 HOUR to figure it out. By the time I figured it out, I was sweating profusely, had thrown the mop across the yard at least twice, said several words my children are not allowed to say, and oh, speaking of the children, they were halfway down the block!

Needless to say I without a doubt delayed replacing the head again. Finally after a plumbing nightmare I was forced to. This time, I decided I will buy the head and ask my darling husband to replace it. Along came Saturday and I thrust the mop in this hands asked him to do it for me. Not 5 minutes into the job he said, "This is ridiculous, can you take this thing back?" Then came the next blow. "I think you just need to buy an industrial mop and bucket." It had been a month since the floor had had a good mopping and you are telling me I have to wait another week while I find time to take it back and shop for an alternative? Fine - husband and industrial mop wins. So I shopped at Target and Walmart (because I was already going) ........no industrial mop - only twisty, frustrating, ridiculous mops.

Finally this last Saturday when dear husband was making his weekly trip to Home Depot I relented: "Would you please hunt for an industrial mop - but I do not want one of those huge buckets you have to ring the thing out in!" An hour later while I was scrubbing bathrooms he arrived and proudly showed me my new mop. Then he hauled in another big box. "What is that?" I inquire. "This is the rolling bucket that goes with it - let me show you how it works." For the next few minutes he provides me with a full demonstration of the industrial mop and the rolling bucket with the thing you ring it out in. In prior days I would have thrown a full blown fit - but decided against it. Later, when all was quiet I filled my new bucket with soapy water and began my chore. To my surprise, the mopping was significantly easier with a larger heavy duty mop - and was easy to ring out. The real shocker - I loved the rolling bucket - saves my back it turns out.

So - after 2.5 years of toil and struggle with my ridiculous past mops I admit: my husband was right and I was wrong. The whole time he never said a word to me about my crazy mops and patiently put up with my complaining - much like our Lord does. He patiently continues to love us even when we push His word away or His direction for our life. Life would be easier if I trusted my husband more. I would be more content if I would trust Him as well.

humility

Thoughts on humility based on my reading in "When Grace Comes Home" by Terry L. Johnson:

'But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.' (1 Corinthians 1:30)

I made a decision to follow Christ only because God made a decision first - the Apostle Paul said 'By His doing you are in Christ Jesus.'

Any wisdom I possess, God gave me. He 'became to us wisdom from God'.

Faith is 'not of yourself,' but 'a gift of God' (Eph. 2:8). God gave me my faith.

Jesus said, 'You did not choose Me, but I chose you' (John 15:16). My choice was determined by His choice.

'We love, because He first loved us' (1 John 4:19). My love is a response to His love. There is nothing I can boast about in any respect to my conversion.

'Christ,' says the Apostle Paul, became to us our 'righteousness and sanctification'. Any measure of spiritual progress I have made is God's work.

GOD MADE ME WHO I AM. I CAN GLORY IN NOTHING.

'By the grace of God I am what I am.' (1 Corinthians 15:10)

holes in the head!

We have definitely been keeping the tooth fairy busy here at the Miller household this week. On Monday night Ryan lost two teeth within a half hour of each other! In the first episode, Ryan was finishing his ice cream cone when he began to wonder why his vanilla ice cream was tasting like blood......He felt around his mouth with his tongue and realized a gaping hole - and the tooth was no where to be found - swallowed whole. By the time he got home he was determined for the second one to come out and so he recruited his father to yank it out - mission successful! The above is a picture of him and the note his sister had provided for the tooth fairy which read:

Dear Tooth Fairy:

I swallowed my tooth. Sorry.

From Ryan

The very next day on Tuesday Madison decided she needed to keep up so she pulled hers while waiting for swim team to start! She was determined to test the tooth fairy charade out - so tried not to tell mom and dad she had lost it. Amazingly - there was still money under her pillow in the morning! She still claims she KNOWS daddy put it there.

Absolute One

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." Romans 11:33-36

This was what moved me today as I read to prepare for small group tonight:

"We must all come to the place in our lives where we realize that we are dealing with One who is outside of our control. His will is not subject to ours. God sovereignly elects. He cannot be changed. He cannot be challenged. He cannot be manipulated. He cannot be controlled. This is a frightening thing. I am completely subject to the sovereign mercy of this God. I cannot argue with Him. I cannot bargain with Him. I cannot even understand Him. He transcends my logic. he exceeds all the categories of my experience and even my imagination. His ways are 'unfathomable'. I may be one of the great ones of the earth. I may have great power and authority in this world. When I bark orders, people may fall all over themselves trying to obey. I may always get what I want. I may always get my way. But with God this pattern comes to a screeching halt. His is in absolute control and I am helplessly at His mercy." Terry L. Johnson, "When Grace Comes Home"

Do I know this God? Have I bowed in worship as a result of looking into the face of this One?

conflict of interest

Big boy underwear......my baby is wearing big boy underwear. Actually I think there is nothing more exquisite than a little 2 yr. old bottom in big boy underwear! Gorgeous - perfect - cute - that little bottom and little boy!

Little boy??? How did this happen? No - not cute anymore - tragic! How did almost 3 years slip by already? Wait! Stop! Please if only I could stop time! Why can't we "pause" or "rewind" - just a little to savor the moments? Why can't I remember my even bigger boy when he first wore big boy underwear? Time is racing by - do I ever stop to savor, smell, hug and kiss? Yes - but never enough.

I don't think you can do it enough. No matter how much you hold, love, nurture......it doesn't stop the seconds and minutes ticking by. And of course thank goodness! Who would want to have a baby for 60 years! I think even the baby lovers would grow tired from never sleeping through the night! Oh how joyous it is as they grow to watch them learn and mature. It is a different sweet, a different blessing. Four times I have mourned the loss of my little baby - while also celebrating the milestones being reached ahead......always struggling to enjoy the stage I am in. What a conflict of interest - what a complex game - what an amazing ride.

Knowing God

'Taste and see that He is good' (Psalm 34:8)

'Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart' (Psalm 37:4)

'Come unto Me,' says Jesus, 'and I will give you rest' for your restless souls (Matthew 11:28)

Indeed, only those who 'hunger and thirst' for the Righteous One are truly 'satisfied' (Matt. 5:6)

look who likes listening too!

Each day for school we have quite a long time in the living room where everyone sits quietly and listens while I read aloud. We are often reading for history or science and then always have one novel we are reading through. Most of the kids color, Jonathan is either napping or learning to play, color, or eat quietly! No matter where Aslan is in the house - he always moves into the living room with us when everyone begins to settle down! He loves cuddling with whoever will get down on the floor with him. He has even been known to try to crawl into a chair with one of us! Here are some funny pictures of him learning along with us!

diamondback fans.....

Saturday night we went to the Diamondbacks game for "homeschool" night - which was basically a night where lots of us in the "homeschool community" buy tickets in a block and sit all together. We go every year and get good seats at half price. The kids look so forward to it! We pack sandwiches and snacks and have a blast! As long as one is feeding Jonathan he does great. We usually get seats with our friends and the kids enjoy cheering together. I enjoyed trying out our new camera and the telephoto.....and it was also fun because they honored our favorite player - Luis Gonzalez! Fun was had by all :)

Four friends having fun!

Loving the telephoto on the new camera!

Luis Gonzalez

Daddy and Jonathan

Allie and Momma

Two funny boys

Two cute girls

Sweet siblings