Spring Monday Daybook!

FOR TODAY... March 29, 2010 (Where in the world did March GO, anyway??)

Outside my window...  A truly beautiful spring day!!  Temps supposed to be near 80 later this week.   I don't want it any warmer than that, but *this* is perfect weather.  Ahhh...

I am remembering... last year this time, when we had just had Emlyn's baptism, and were preparing for Bayley's (along with a number of others).  That Easter Sunday baptism was truly glorious.   It seems like so long ago...it's been quite a year!   Looking forward to another beautiful Easter this Sunday!

I am thinking...  about all that needs to be done this week!!  Such a busy time of year, with Easter, testing, and the Growing Kids Sale all approaching.  And then before we know it, summer will be upon us!

I am thankful for...   improved physical strength and stamina and mental clarity recently.  Praying that that continues as we move into a very busy season (while trying to overhaul this house at the same time!)

Noticing that...  my kids are growing up!  No, definitely not the first time I've noticed, but there are signs everywhere of how quickly their childhoods are progressing.  Just a few months until Peter will move into the "student ministry" at church...eeek!  Seems like just yesterday he was a stocky little 15-month-old with a white blond bowl cut, throwing an Easter egg at my mom because he thought it was a "BALL!!"  (She didn't realize she was supposed to catch, and got hit between the eyes instead.  Uh-oh. :))  And Ammah Grace moves into the children's department in a few months...for the first time in 12 1/2 years, I won't have a preschooler!  Wow. 

I am praying for...  continued strength, stamina, and clarity, and wisdom in decisions large and small...

From the learning rooms...  a good, solid "last full week of school before the test", I hope!

On my mind...   keeping up the "sorting, organizing, cleaning" momentum from this weekend in the midst of a busy week.  

Pondering these words... 

"Rejoice in the Lord always. 

I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

 ~Philippians 4:4-8

This is our "Mega-Memory" passage for the next few weeks.  It's shorter than usual, because I want us to delve into these verses even more deeply than we usually do with our longer memory projects.  I want us to not only hear the Words, and memorize them, and talk about them, but LIVE them.   I want us to be intentional about living them, and then I want them to become such a part of us that we don't have to be intentional about them anymore...they are just *who* we are in Jesus.   No matter what else my children learn in our "home of learning" (which has to be way more than just "school at home"!), I want them to learn to be 

Rejoice-ers

Gentle-people

Close to Jesus

Pray-ers

Thank-ers

Peaceful people

People of protected minds and guarded hearts in Christ Jesus

Intentional thinkers, taking every thought captive and dwelling on what is excellent and praiseworthy.

And for me to teach them to be those things, I need to be those things!   Which means I need to get these Words under my skin and into my heart and permeating my mind.

   

From the kitchen...   Cereal for breakfast, and then I have absolutely no idea!  I planned a loose "this is what we're eating for the next two weeks in general" menu and shopped for two weeks worth of groceries, but I have absolutely no clue what we are eating TODAY.  :-D  Guess I need to figure that out pretty quick and get something simple started for supper so I can get out the door for a baby shower tonight...

I am creating...  order from what seems to regularly turn into chaos....the dining room!   (Which could be because it is more of a multi-purpose room than a dining room...dining room, schoolroom, studio, office, and library all rolled into one!

I am reading...   as fast as I can through a stack of book review books! :)  

I am hearing...  busy children working on chores.  

Around the house...  deep cleaning the dining room and entry hall this week, and the Great Spring Clothes Switch...EEK!! :)  

One of my favorite things...  an odd thing I thought of yesterday, which is heartwrenching and yet such a blessing as a parent...seeing my children experience true brokenness and repentance and restoration.  

A few plans for the rest of the week:   Baby shower tonight, choirs on Wednesday as usual, a full day on Friday since Billy is off for Good Friday, Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, Easter Celebration on Sunday.  Whew!  

From the photo archive...  A little of what I've been up to this weekend...:-)

To see what others are doing this week, visit Peggy at The Simple Woman's Daybook.