Week in Review: 2013 {Weeks 20 & 21}

May 27, 2013 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

All’s been quiet on the internet front lately. Life just keeps rolling along as smoothly as can be expected when you have five kids, one of them home less than two months, and you’re moving. Seriously, though, we continue to stand amazed at how well things are going and give thanks to God for this incredibly adaptable girl and her willingness to just go along with these crazy white people she now calls family. I do miss one of my bio girls who just hasn’t been quite the same since March 29. I miss her laugh, her real laugh. And her silliness. She’s mostly to herself these days. I try to draw her out, but only getting her alone works, and that’s not terribly feasible in a house of seven people. Lord willing, she’ll be back to “normal” soon. I miss her. A lot. But God has purpose in this too and we trust the hard work He’s doing in her life right now.

Sweet Haiti girl received her Certificate of Citizenship this weekend. We are super excited! Now we begin the process of re-adopting her here. Please don’t ask me why exactly…we just hear this can be a good move for her future and it will allow us to legally change her full name and the spelling of her first name.

Everyone wrapped up all of their school in the past couple of weeks. We had our last “official” day on the 10th, but there were loose ends to tie up. And as I’m writing, I realize that a couple still have reading to do. Ah, well. Maybe we’ll really be finished in time for next year to start!

Summer schedules begin to heat up this week and will swing into full gear next week. June is going to be a crazy month – swim lessons for three, soccer camp (two separate weeks) for one, youth group activities for one, day camp for one, packing, painting, moving, unpacking for seven…whew! July looks much more manageable (relaxing) though – thank goodness!

I loved this post this weekend by Ann – When All the Negativity & Pessimism is Getting to You. And this…I know this…But the last two sentences are what we all need….

Wondering how can we spend our lives to end poverty and stop oppression and if any of them will go out into this world loving Jesus more than their own comfort and double car garages and culture’s applause and their very lives and if their mother has wholly failed them or only just mildly ruined them. Kids eat garbage from dumps. I have yelled. They still bicker.

I see all who they are not. I haven’t hugged and prayed and asked for forgiveness enough. The economy could implode next month. I should bake more peanut butter cookies. They should be kinder. Years are ridiculously short and minutes can be relentlessly long and failures can seem eternal.

I have known it, the mornings that I have struggled to get out of bed, the days when I’ve fumed about all that is wrong in them and me and the world:

When we fixate on the worst in something, we render ourselves incapable of fixing anything.

But attend to the good in something — and we act towards the best in everything.

And as we enter a busy season and as I struggle still to communicate and truly connect with our Haiti girl and as I miss my sweet girl who isn’t quite herself, I focus on the glass being right full. Always. Full of His goodness. Full of His grace. Full of His mercy. Full of His perfect will. And we move forward, giving thanks, trusting Him, counting it all grace.

2560. my inadequacies, weaknesses = His strength

2561. time out with just my Ellie

2562. better days

2563. snow on May 3

2564. indoor pools

2565. the Discovery Center and her first time roller skating

2566. my first Haitian accented “love you!” as I tuck the girls into bed

2567. looking at houses

2568. praying through decisions

2569. feeding ducks

2570. extra sleep

2571. time in the Word

2572. an agreement reached, a new home in our future

2573. girls who speak their hearts, even when they don’t realize it

2574. seeing the girls in our new house – feeling like it’s home

2575. last day of school – done!

2576. Mother’s Day and sweet handmade gifts and $1.00 for “shockolate for Mom”

2577. a pair of much-needed keys missing; prayers for their return

2578. packing started

2579. Mission mornings

2580. feeding ducks again and Sonic Happy Hour

2581. warm, sunny days

2582. whole house clean and ready – my mom and girls helping make it happen

2583. a slower day ahead

2584. family time after a long, hard-working weeks

2585. the quiet of a Monday morning

2586. sun shining through windows

2587. heroes amidst tragedy

2588. being refined

2589. the realtor’s sign in the yard

2590. daily trusting we’re making the right choice

2591. clean SUV

2592. a littlest one who would rather help us work than watch tv

2593. packing and unpacking – remembering things we still need

2594. talking long at night with my favorite

2595. Friday again

2596. a cup always full

May your week be blessed and may you know the fullness of His love.

For His Glory ~

Week in Review {2013: Weeks 18 & 19}

May 10, 2013 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

The past two weeks have been fairly uneventful. Emma had a piano recital last Saturday. I am still so proud of her and her determination to master a piece that, by all accounts, was too advanced for her. Emma and Chandler attended their first track practice on Sunday evening. We told them they could try it out and we would pray about letting them participate this summer. A decision has yet to be reached on that, though. Regardless, they loved it and I want to do what I can to encourage all of the girls to be active.

Today we will (more or less) wrap up school year 2012-2013. A couple of the girls have some finishing up to do next week and some slacking to make up for in the coming weeks, but “formal” school ends today. This has been a year of a lot of trial and error on curriculum. We tried a lot of new stuff at the beginning of the year. Some of it we pushed through and just finished. Some of it we changed at semester. Some of it we will do again next year. Some of it we won’t. But overall, it’s been a really, really good year. There have, as always, been character issues brought to light and we have all grown and changed. Hopefully for the better. The slower pace of life after pulling out of most of our extra-curricular activities has been an amazing gift. And while I know we probably won’t go that slow next year or in future years, I have savored every minute of the slow this year. We are all so ready for the summer and a long break, but at least I’m not coming out of this year feeling like I just got home from a war. 😉

The big, bittersweet news of this week is that after talking casually about it for years and praying a lot and looking just a little, we bought a new-to-us house this week. Those who know me, especially those I was texting for prayer on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday, know how hard this decision was for me personally. I love my house. We first saw this house nine years ago today and I loved it from the moment I walked in. We have raised our family, up to this point, in this house. Grace has little to no recollection of our first two homes. This is the house our girls know and have lived life in. It will be very hard to leave this house. But over the years we have come to realize there are certain things we want to give our girls that this house will never be able to provide. Hence, our casual search over time. Last Saturday, Matt was browsing through the MLS (not an unusual activity for him) and found a house within our price range that appeared to have everything we needed / wanted. He went to the open house on Sunday. He took me back on Sunday night. We went back again on Monday and walked through the house for an hour and a half. Long story somewhat shorter, we reached a final price agreement with the owners on Wednesday and signed the contracts yesterday. Lord willing, everything will go according to plan and we will be moving sometime next month! I was still struggling with how long it would take for that house to feel like our home until yesterday afternoon when we were able to take the girls over and show them. Watching them walk (or maybe run) through the house, checking out all the rooms and the yard and everything, it truly felt like home. Funny how that changed in my life without me even realizing it. I have placed a lot of sentimental value on this home we are in and it will be hard to leave it because of the memories and blood, sweat, and tears we have put into this house. But I realized yesterday that my home is where my people are and this is a move we are making for them. So, soon we begin the crazy journey of packing up a large house full of seven peoples’ stuff (really just six….I can’t blame Amania for too much “junk” yet) and preparing this house to sell. I will miss our quirky neighborhood and all the wonderful neighbors we have, and especially the friends our girls have (finally) made in the last year. But we believe this is where God is leading us and we know God is good and we are excited, even if somewhat anxious, for this new chapter in our lives.

So that’s about it for life around here. Not much going on really. 😉 This weekend is going to be a busy one with lots of activities the next three days. Looking forward to some sunshine (Lord willing!) and time with family as we celebrate some birthdays and Mother’s Day. May your weekend be blessed and filled with God’s best gifts!

For His Glory ~

Week in Review {2013: Weeks 13, 14, and 15} and giving thanks…

April 17, 2013 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

For three weeks I have tried to write this post. It has sat in various stages of completion in my drafts folder. Here I sit again, hoping to finally click “publish”.

Her first full week at home went amazingly well but my emotions grew increasingly raw as the week progressed. Two years of prep and planning and praying and waiting followed by two weeks of crazy cramming life in all came crashing down on Friday night as tears flowed and simply would not stop. And Satan he whispered all week to my weaknesses and my mind spiraled in ungratefulness to God until I was nothing but a hot mess of tears. And I messaged a friend who replied with so much grace and love and I talked long with Matt and I slept long with the windows open.

And Saturday morning I woke up to this:

Bring Me the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Take nothing for granted, not even the rising of the sun. Before Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, thankfulness was as natural as breathing. Satan’s temptation involved pointing Eve to the one thing that was forbidden her. The garden was filled with luscious, desirable fruits, but Eve focused on the one fruit she couldn’t have rather than being thankful for the many good things freely available. This negative focus darkened her mind, and she succumbed to temptation.

When you focus on what you don’t have or on situations that displease you, your mind also becomes darkened. You take for granted life, salvation, sunshine, flowers, and countless other gifts from Me. You look for what is wrong and refuse to enjoy life until that is “fixed.”

When you approach Me with thanksgiving, the Light of My Presence pours into you, transforming you through and through. Walk in the Light with Me by practicing the discipline of thanksgiving.

I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.
—Psalm 116:17 nkjv

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.
—Genesis 3:2–4

And Satan, he still whispers, but my heart turns to giving thanks….thanks for weakness that makes me strong in Him, thanks for hard days that make good ones shine brighter, thanks for the gift of being a mama to these five girls, thanks for husband and friends and family and so much love and support. And thanks for hope for all that lies ahead.

And God in His great mercy and wisdom walked me through my dark places knowing that hers were coming soon. On Tuesday of her second week home, Haiti baby became home sick for her native land. We have no idea what triggered it, but for three days she would not eat and barely drank. She slept and cried silently. We looked at Haiti photos and watched the Jesus Story for Little Children in Creole. And I held her. A lot. (A nearly broken toe ensured that I spent most of that week sitting.) Two friends spoke to her in Creole, trying to comfort her and encourage her in her native tongue. A doctor’s visit showed nothing physically wrong, but by Thursday we were looking seriously at a trip to the ER for IV fluids. But some wise advice and the prayers of countless friends all over the country led to her deciding that popsicles were tolerable and that day she ate five. Followed by a small amount of water and some white bread, if I remember well. Friday dawned and a new child was before us. Her food preferences were still more “refined” than when she first came home and would eat anything we put in front of her. But she was happier, more talkative, more comfortable, more her. And she’s been that way ever since. We know more struggles will come, but we are so thankful for where we are right now.

I’m in love with this child’s hair.

The other girls continue to adjust. The older two seem fairly unfazed while the younger two have wrestled more. This transition has provided many opportunities already to learn about compassion and putting others first and that it’s okay to cry. It’s given us many new chances to talk to the girls as we try to keep the attention-giving somewhat in balance and we help them try to understand why things are different right now.

The girls are also trying to finish school. This living, breathing, walking, giggling “toy” that has come to live with us has made school a near impossibility. And while I have adjusted my expectations, we still have to finish the school year. And I don’t want to be wrapping this one up just in time to start the next one. So we plow ahead and I try to maintain some sense of structure. School wraps up here on May 10. I.cannot.wait. Neither can they.

I think that’s about it here. Have a wonderful rest of the week!

For His Glory ~

Week in Review {2013: Weeks 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 – wow!}

March 26, 2013 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

So, really, this is more of a month (and a half) in review. Sheesh. This post has literally been in process since February 18. Sad. So sad. I don’t even remember half of what happened in that time frame.

So we’ll hit the highlights….

We had snow. Lots of snow. Much needed, but we’re now over it. I saw tonight the weatherman predicted more snow for next week. Possibly several inches. I may scream.

We waited for adoption news. We rejoiced with others who got good news. We grieved with those who have not. And we prayed. A lot. For everyone at our orphanage in this process.

And then we got good news! And more good news! And tomorrow we travel to bring our girl home. Still so entirely unbelievable. And all the big stuff is finished, but several little, non-important things still hang out there. I had planned on getting them done tonight, and still may. But since we dropped the girls at Matt’s parents a little bit ago, it’s as if the emotional weight of the past month just hit me and I’m exhausted. So I may just go to bed early and trust the Lord that those little things will be there when we get home. Because they will. 🙂

We were blessed to go on a beautiful little family get away in early March. We headed out to Denver where we visited the Science and Technology Museum, the state Capitol, and ate dinner at Casa Bonita (horrible, horrible food; cheesy family memories). We stayed with wonderful adoption friends Tracy and Christy and their three girls and visited our adoption agency and met our wonderful caseworker Patrick. So good to finally put a face to the man who has walked so much of this road with us.

Then we journeyed on down to our favorite family place – Lost Valley Ranch. We hiked. We rode horses. We endured blizzard conditions. The girls went sledding. It wasn’t as picture perfect as we had hoped, but it was still a wonderful time away and something we will remember for a long time. I’m already itching to go back. 😉

The Colorado State Capitol

Ellie at one mile above sea level

At the Science and Technology Museum

Yeah. We’re that cool.

Ah, Casa Bonita….

The Lost Valley cattle guard. Oooo Ahhhh!

Matt about ten minutes after we arrived in Lost Valley.

Lost Valley beauty

Waiting for dinner.

Even the stuffed animals get turn down service.

Got snow? Still we ride.

Goldie and Remington. Goldie hated me.

I waved the white flag on 7. At least on the clothing portion. The two week period in which we were doing clothes has experienced temperatures ranging from 86* to single digit wind chills and six inches of snow. AND I had two days to spend at an arts competition with a fairly strict dress code. There was no way to do that with seven items of clothing. Not to mention that I discovered by day 2 that I apparently stink when I re-wear clothing. I was offending myself with my odor. So, wave the white flag, I did.

We also had the girls’ fine arts competitions. They all did well and I had wanted to post pictures of them with their art and ribbons, but those pictures have not been taken yet and if I wait to post this after I get those pictures this may turn into a year in review post!

That’s it for me tonight. Have a wonderful rest of the week, friends. My next post should be of our “official” family of seven!

For His Glory ~

Week in Review {2013: Weeks 6 & 7}

February 17, 2013 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

The past two weeks have flown by and yet they drag as we continue to await news from Haiti. I am thankful for this busy life as it really doesn’t leave much time to think about how long this gestation is.

Last week was a whirlwind and I wondered early on how on earth we would get any school done. Somehow, the girls did it though, in spite of the crazy. Wednesday of last week we had a field trip to the local children’s museum. It was my first time, although the girls had been previously with my parents when we were in Haiti. It’s a lovely place that I really wish we had had about 8 years ago when my girls were all little-little. We would have spent many a cold winter day there passing time. Thursday the home school choir sang at the state capitol building in Topeka. Oh, they really should do all of their performances there in the rotunda. I was moved to tears more than once by their beautiful voices joining with the incredible acoustics of that magnificent structure. I should have recorded some of it…but I just wanted to stand and soak it in. Saturday Matt had a meeting all day so the girls and I did some cleaning around the house and then went out shopping for the afternoon. This is the first time I’ve attempted recreational shopping with them in quite some time. Shopping with four children is absolutely exhausting and I have avoided doing it alone as much as possible. But we had a really great time. After four hours, we were all definitely “done” and ready to come home, but great deals were found and fun memories were made.

This week was much more manageable on paper, but still felt just as busy. We purged and cleaned and organized a bedroom belonging to a certain pair of children. It took all week and I posted to Facebook that it will not surprise me at all if one day one of my children ends up on Hoarders. However, when I told this child that her closet looked like an episode of Hoarders (in a loving way) she looked horrified and seemed to recognize a need for improvement. Time will tell. But, oh, it feels so good to keep cleaning out and organizing and minimizing. I feel like I’ve been purging for most of the last year and yet there is still so much stuff. How is this even possible? We don’t really shop or collect or gather or hoard. I’m convinced that the stuff multiplies when we are sleeping. That’s the only reasonable explanation. Regardless, the love/hate relationship with “stuff” is a strong one. On a different note, Friday night Matt and I took a lovely date to celebrate a belated Valentine’s Day. We enjoyed a long evening of talking and planning and processing and connecting. He really is my favorite and I am so blessed.

God has been so gracious the past couple of weeks to give me an overwhelming sense of peace and flexibility. He has allowed me to just roll with so many things that would normally make me panic. Hopefully it’s a sign of maturity. 🙂

This past week is the first time since last fall I’ve felt forward progress in my running. A friend and I have been doing a C210k program and I finally felt like we had a breakthrough this week. Such a good feeling after feeling so out of shape for so long. Still a long, long way to go, but progress is good. I’m considering a 10k in Manhappiness in March. We’ll see how this week’s runs go.

The kids have rekindled their love affair with the trampoline recently. It makes for lots of noise outside, but better out there than in here. I know in theory they are burning more energy by being out there for hours, but they sure come in just as energetic as ever every night. Ah, what I wouldn’t give for some of that boundless energy….

I think that’s it for me tonight. Have a great rest of the weekend, friends!

For His Glory ~

Week in Review {2013: Weeks 4 & 5}

February 2, 2013February 1, 2013 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

Two Weeks in Review

The girls’ local fine arts competition consumed last week. Even with all of my efforts to have things finished ahead of time, it still felt like that one event ate up the whole week. I ended up in bed on more than one occasion with ocular migraines, something I’ve had very rarely in the past but I seemed to only be one extra thing from having last week. That said, the event was wonderful and the girls did quite well. I’m still awaiting the email of what exactly moved on to the regional competition, as the awards were read so quickly even the girls aren’t sure what they won! 🙂

This week began with wonderful Spring-like weather and the news of Amania’s passport being printed. That news combined with the thought that she may be home this spring has brought a lightness to the whole week.

I was also reminded this week what a gift my husband is. To be married to a man who asks good questions and genuinely listens to my answers is a privilege. We talked long this weekend about so many things, and to see him take those things to heart and put them into action this week has been a wonderful thing. Sometimes life gets so busy and we get so bogged down in just surviving that we forget how amazing the people around us are. I am blessed.

That’s it for me. Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

For His Glory ~

Week in Review {2013, Week 3}

January 18, 2013 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

It’s been a quiet week here. My brain felt as if it were wrapped in a thick blanket and my thoughts just felt all jumbled and non-sensical. My attitude and behavior kind of betrayed that, as well. So I have tried to stay quiet.

As we come to the end of the week and a couple days of warmer weather and sun have cleared my head a bit, I recognize the battle I am fighting with being content and finding joy where I am right now. Discontentment tells me all the ways I would be happier if …. God’s word says “godliness with contentment is great gain.”

I don’t always enjoy being a home school mom and finding contentment there has been an on-going struggle. I don’t think saying that makes me a bad home schooling mom. I think saying that makes me honest. I love my kids and I’m very happy with how they are learning and progressing in school, so that’s not the issue. I love being at home with them and the wonderful time we are able to spend together. It’s just that they’re always here. Always. So sending my kids off to school every day and having hours at a time to myself? That sounds so luxurious! But that’s not where God has me. And I’m sure that’s not where God has me on purpose, because of the countless ways He uses my constant exposure to these human chisels to shape me – to make me more gracious, more patient, more selfless, and more like His Son. I really wish relaxing on the beach could somehow have the same effect….

So if our educational options aren’t changing anytime soon (which they aren’t, because I still have a TON to learn about patience and selflessness), the only other option is to learn contentment. And there’s really no fast track on that road, either. It seems to be a matter of continuing to constantly say thanks, to see all as grace, to not consider my blessings burdens, and to continue to follow hard after the One who is perfecting each of us, day by day. If I seek to be filled up by this job of home schooling, I’m going to be disappointed every time, because really it’s a daily emptying out, like much of mothering, and these kids aren’t responsible for filling up my empty places. Only God can do that and He didn’t give us home schooling for that purpose. He gave us home schooling to reveal how desperately we all need His grace and mercy every day and how empty we all really are without more and more of Him.

In other news, we received word this week that Amania’s passport is “in process”. We are tentatively hopeful that we will have that in the next month or so, then it’s on to the US Embassy and her Visa. So, maybe, maybe???, home this summer? We’ll see.

School has taken until bedtime (or close to it) for the second week in a row for the younger two. God bless them for their perseverance and sticking with it, but this has to change. It’s a little ridiculous. I’m praying through how to make things work and have some ideas, so we’ll see how next week goes. We’ve gone from having too much free time on school days to having zero free time. Surely there’s a balance in there somewhere?!

Emma’s having a couple of friends over tonight to (finally) celebrate her birthday (early December). She’s kind to understand that her mama can’t handle birthday parties in the midst of Christmas craziness, so she always gets to wait until January.

Speaking of Emma, I’m pretty sure she and all her sisters are about to grow a lot. All I hear about (or so it seems) is how hungry everyone is. All.the.time. And as a non-foodie-type, constant requests for food wear me out pretty fast. Today, after being snapped at by a child who was apparently starving to death (and I was doing nothing about it!), I decided to come up with a paraphrase on Ephesians 4:26, “Be hungry and do not sin…” It may also work for dieting husbands, but I wouldn’t know anything about that. 😉

And speaking of husbands, my very wise and wonderful man realized this week that this mama needs a little break, so he’s whisking me away for a quick overnight, some quantity quality time, and to finally see Les Miserables (woot!). He’s definitely a keeper.

That’s the update around here. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! May all that you do draw you closer to God and those you love.

For His Glory ~

Week in Review {2013, Week 2}

January 12, 2013January 17, 2013 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

We come to the end of another week and I find that we’ve made it through that tremulous first week back to balancing school and life.

I practiced peace while wrestling testy appliances and a messy house.

We found our way through some new curriculum and found that the second grader absolutely LOVES it. After a few days of doing school from breakfast until bedtime (not exaggerating!), we found a little bit of rhythm and were done by dinnertime. Now if I can get a certain child to stop disappearing between classes, we could have something close to a normal school day.

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

All week we walk a dark road with a daughter who wants to choose her own path and we continue to learn what it is to pray and beg mercy and be humbled because we really have no clue what we’re doing in this parenting thing and by the time we think we’ve figured something out everything changes.

We pass another week with no word of movement in Haiti while on Facebook I see an acquaintance post pictures of their Haitian children at home. An acquaintance we met standing in line nearly a year ago at the embassy in Port-au-Prince both waiting for our I-600 appointment. I marvel at how their kids are home and will myself to say the Lord’s ways are higher and His timing is perfect. Because I am done with this being “pregnant” and there are no old wives tales to test to start labor. I must simply wait. And I’m reminded as I do of some of the wisest adoption words I’ve heard so far, and we heard them early on in this….”Respect the process.” No amount of grumbling or being impatient or thinking how this or that could be done better will change the adoption process in Haiti, at least not right now. My safest and most peaceful place is to trust God and respect the process.

Last night we celebrated the new year with our Sunday school class and as I crawled into bed at nearly 1 am, I prayed thanks to Jesus for the community He has been quietly building around us this past year in our own church, a place where we had felt painfully disconnected for many months. We are blessed.

I realize today it’s been three years since the earthquake, since Haiti appeared to almost fall in on itself. Three years since we watched unimaginable images on television screens and prayed for our own loved ones and friends to come home safe. It’s been three years since we felt compelled to move, to act, to be involved. Three years since a massive community-wide sale that really was the beginning of our involvement in ministry in Haiti. And I sit and reflect on all the mighty ways God has moved in just three years and I am amazed and how can I not worship and praise His name, for He has done good things.

For His Glory ~

A Week and A Book: In Review {2013, Week 1}

January 4, 2013January 17, 2013 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

Trying to get the writing year off to a good start and school starts next week, so not sure how long this momentum will last, but here we are, so let’s go….

This week was a funny one with what kind of felt like two or three Mondays and here we are at Friday already. We semi-celebrated the New Year with a game night at a friends house and friend sleep overs for the girls and enjoying the beautiful snow that fell on NYE. I attempted to get groceries and run my errands ALONE on New Year’s Day but Sam’s had the nerve to be closed. Seriously! 😉 Wednesday was art lessons and errand running in the slushy slop with the youngest two. I’ve been doing a lot of computer work the past couple of weeks, trying to get photos cleaned out and organized and photobooks made and prepping school stuff for second semester and we’ve had wacky sleep schedules with the holidays and friends in town. All that to say, I ended up with a twitchy eye and dull headache that afternoon, which did not make me much fun to shop with. Thursday was our last real day of Christmas break and today the girls started back at Friday classes and I whispered Thank you, Jesus as I drove away. 🙂 Matt and I are both trying to get back in shape after some serious slacking over the holidays. I “enjoyed” a run/walk with a friend today in the toasty 34* sunshine.

So a couple months ago, a friend and I read Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. I have to say it is hands-down one of the best and most unique marriage books I have ever read. As my friend said when we were discussing it, it’s not “do these five things and have a better marriage”. It’s, as the subtitle says, “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy.” And the book proceeds to take many of our modern notions about marriage and romance and turn them on their head. Following are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

“God did not create marriage just to give us a pleasant means of repopulating the world and providing a steady social institution for the benefit of humanity. He planted marriage among humans as yet another signpost pointing us to his own eternal, spiritual existence.” (p. 30)
“Marriage requires a radical commitment to love our spouses as they are, while longing for them to become what they are not yet. Every marriage moves either toward enhancing one another’s glory or toward degrading each other.” (p. 39, Allender & Longman)
“We must never be naive enough to think of marriage as a safe harbor from the Fall….The deepest struggles of life will occur in the most primary relationship affected by the Fall: marriage.” (P. 53, Allender & Longman)
“We have valued the wrong activities when we look only at a person’s outward accomplishments. Our relationship – especially our marriages – are an integral part of our ministry.” (p. 78)
“We must not enter marriage predominantly to be fulfilled, emotionally satisfied, or romantically charged, but rather to become more like Jesus Christ.” (p. 96)
- how’s THAT for going against the grain?!
“A good marriage is not something you find, it’s something you work for.” (p. 133)
The opposite of Biblical love isn’t hate, it’s apathy.” (p. 155)
“If we enter marriage thoughtfully, purposefully, and with godly intentions, our wedlock will shape us in a way that few other life experiences can. It will usher us into God’s own presence.” (p. 245)

And there’s more….there’s so much more. I’m hoping to go back through the book again soon because I know I could take so much more away from it. Highly readable and highly recommended!

That’s it for me today. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

For His Glory ~

Week in Review and Links to Share

September 14, 2012 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

The past two weeks have been a good kind of crazy.

Last week started off with me feeling very overwhelmed. More activities were starting up and school was still taking way too long each day and I felt like I was drowning in all the stuff that wasn’t getting done. I dropped the only thing I felt like I could drop (one morning run) and prayed for strength through the rest of it.

On Wednesday we got the incredible news that our dispensation had been signed and our time in IBESR was coming to an end. We also confirmed what I had come to suspect – that two of our children have pertussis. A strange relief came from finally figuring out what was causing their unrelenting hacking. I’ve decided that it’s just not Back to School around here unless we have some weird infestation or illness that forces us into relative isolation for weeks on end.

As we reached the end of last week, it finally felt like we were finding our rhythm with school and activities. On Thursday, I finally made my family dinner and cleaned the house and we did school. This week has continued much the same, keeping our heads above water for the most part, and it feels really good. We turned the page on Week 6 of school this week, so it definitely took some time, but hopefully we’ll be able to keep it all in balance in the coming weeks and months.

Last weekend we celebrated my birthday. Matt took me out for a wonderful dinner and we sat long outside on the patio enjoying a glorious evening. They all treated me well and spoiled me royally. I am blessed!

This week has rolled along quite smoothly and for that I am thankful. A third child seems to be coming down with whooping cough, so she is on antibiotics. Hopefully it will stop with her and not work its way through the entire family.

This is a “recovery week” in my race training, so a friend and I did my long run this morning and we rocked that trail. After an entire summer of struggling up the same hills on our normal route, it was very encouraging to see how much easier a flat route was! I’m looking forward to not having a long run to do this Saturday – like giddy excited. Hopefully we’ll be able to go to the local Farmer’s Market and I can tackle an organizing project, then we’re going out to dinner with friends.

That about sums up the past couple of weeks around here. Below I’m sharing a couple of links I’ve found worth reading recently….

The semi-annual clothing swap is my least favorite time of the year. As the days begin to turn cooler, that dreaded event looms closer and closer. For a couple of years now I have been praying about how to simplify this process by refining exactly how many clothes came into the house to begin with. This post is fantastic at laying out fairly specifically how to help your kids maximize their outfits while minimizing the number of articles of clothing they need. Love!!!

I shared from this one of Ann’s yesterday. I just love it.

I think that’s it for me today. The girls are all watching the third (very, very long) Lord of the Rings movie. I may go take a nap! Have a glorious weekend!

For His Glory ~

~ Sara