Saturday Coffee Chat

I woke up this Saturday morning, thinking it was Sunday.  As I looked blearily at the clock, I jumped out of bed, thinking that I needed to get ready for church.  I pulled on my fuzzy socks as a defense against the cold floor and slid on my glasses, and then it came to me that today is not in fact Sunday, it's Saturday, and I should have just kept sleeping.  I considered going back to sleep, but decided to get up and do my devotions in quiet instead.  We have been so busy lately that it has been difficult for me to drag myself out of bed before the kids wake me up.  I have missed padding downstairs in the dim light, and pouring myself a cup of coffee, and having that time to read my Bible and set my mind before the house erupts with the noise of five rambunctious kids.

I started a Scripture memory journal this morning, this one, and I'm excited about memorizing a few new Scripture passages.  I have attempted for a few years now to memorize Hebrews, and I am up to Chapter 7, but it's been difficult to stay motivated.  I fully intend to finish Hebrews, but I thought I would try out the passages in this memory journal to give me a jump start on making Scripture memory a habit again.

Though I am usually staunchly against Christmas music before Thanksgiving, I have found myself eyeing some advent playlists on Spotify this morning.  I am the only person in my family with this no-Christmas-music-before-Thanksgiving rule, and Derek sweetly tries to honor it, but I am slowly getting in the Christmas spirit.  We have a birthday party with friends today, and I may just surprise the kids with a little Christmas music on the way down.

Derek is actually hunting today, and I have spent the morning praying that he'll get something and we'll be able to fill our freezer.  If ever there was a year where I'd love to have inexpensive and healthy meat stocked away, this is it.  The gas pumps and grocery store checkouts have become increasingly painful places, but I am also thankful that while the rising prices make my budget tighter, requiring me to be a little wiser with my spending, the Lord has provided and blessed us during this season.  I think I mentioned that Derek got a new position with a new organization earlier this year, and it has been a better work environment overall, and a blessing in ways that I wouldn't have anticipated early in the year.  One way is the additional monetary wiggle room that has eased the inflation pressure.

Last night I took Wyatt to a game night for the boys at our church, and while he participated, I sat in the church lobby and tried to start a Christmas newsletter.  I usually don't send out family newsletters at Christmas, but since I haven't been updating on social media this year, I figured a newsletter was warranted.  I have to tell you, I had a terrible time of it.  Maybe I am just in a dry spell when it comes to writing?  Are Christmas newsletters always this difficult to write?  I couldn't decide how to start the letter out, and I didn't get around to writing about our year at all yet.  I did end up typing short paragraphs about each of the kids, but then I realized just that filled up a whole page, and all the newsletter-writing advice tells you to keep Christmas newsletters to one page only.  Surely I get a pass since I have so many children?  Any newsletter-writing experts, please give me some advice.

I don't really know what my point is with this post, I guess I just wanted to drop in and say Hi! on a rare quiet Saturday morning! For the first time ever I successfully finished my 31 day blogging project in October, but I suppose I needed a couple weeks to recover. This is me getting back to it on the blog.

Is it okay if I leave you with a quote? I picked up Morning And Evening by Charles Spurgeon again this week, and this quote was one that stood out to me.  This subject of sanctification, and how God puts things in our lives in order to draw us closer to Him, has been on my mind lately.

"Some plants die if they have too much sunshine.  It may be that you are planted where you get very little, you are put there by the loving Husbandman, because only in that situation will you bring forth fruit to perfection. Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there...Be content with such things as you have, since the Lord has ordered all things for your good.  Take up your own daily cross; it is the burden best suited for your shoulder, and will prove more effective to make you perfect in every good word and work to the glory of God."

-Charles Spurgeon

Happy Saturday!