Vacation Week Daybook!!

For Today...May 3, 2010  (Don't tell anybody, but it actually took me 17 hours...not consecutive!...to finish this post.  So...it's actually May 4 as I hit publish...:))

Outside My Window...Sunny, heading into a very warm few days (91 this week...eek!)

I am Listening to...Children doing chores.

I am Thankful for...Billy's vacation this week!  

I am Pondering...Bro. Kent's sermon last night.  Here are a few of my (very rough) notes:


The Danger of Spiritual Assumptions
Ecclesiastes 7:15-18


*Popular theology says "good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to bad people".  


*God cautions us to beware of the danger of works-based blessings. (v. 15)  
         Solomon's observations...
               ---"When the righteous man perishes"...Bad things happen to good people.  It happens!
               ---"When the evil man prospers"...Good things happen to bad people.  It happens, too.  A lot.
         Do these things fly in the face of Biblical theology?  No.  But they do fly in the face of popular theology!


*God cautions us to avoid the disappointment of self-righteousness. ((v. 16-17)
          These verses do not refer to true righteousness, but to legalistic self-righteousness.  "Health and wealth gospel" and        the like elevate religion to the status of a vending machine!   Outcome is disappointment or even destruction.


*God cautions us to avoid the destruction of rejecting the idea of God's judgement. (v. 17)
           
*God calls us to consider both and trust God.  
            Not that we are to find a  middle ground between righteousness and wickedness, but that we are to AVOID both legalistic self-righteousness and wickedness.   Instead we are to TRUST GOD.  
            Fear God!  Understand that He blesses in His own time and in His own way...His Sovereignty (vv. 13-14)


*Cling to Him!  Trust Him!  Continue to Follow Him!


I am Remembering...A great week last week!  Wedding shower for my dear friend's sweet daughter, visiting with old friend and Senatorial candidate Gilbert Baker (and getting Baker Backer tee shirts! :)), six fun hours of scrapbooking and fellowship Friday night, and R & R sitting under our wonderful backyard trees watching the squirrels and birds with Billy Saturday afternoon.  

Noticing...how my children's personalities emerge even as they are first waking up in the morning.  Ammah Grace bounces in giggling with a big hug.  Bayley comes in with a "plan" almost every morning, and is often cleaning before I even realize she is up.  Emlyn eases into the day, and she would prefer to do it snuggling on Mama's lap.   Peter's brain is planning his latest Lego creation or art project before his eyes are even open.    They are just amazing little (and not-so-little anymore) critters. :)

I am Reading...I'm taking a small stack on our trip....not sure when I think I'll read, but I'm tucking Present Perfect, Gardening Eden, and Under the Chinaberry Tree in my bag just in case.   I'm never quite sure what I'll be in the mood for when!  Mostly, I think I'll be finishing Radical, by David Platt. If you haven't heard about this book yet, watch for it.  The book tour started yesterday, and I hope to have my post ready soon after we get home.  Radical is definitely radical...so far I'm enthralled and convicted.  This is not a book to read if you want to stay comfortable.

From the Kitchen...Easy stuff this week, with Billy's vacation and our trip.  Billy's talking about grilling a feast this weekend...I'll keep you posted on that. :)

On my Mind...Kevin DeYoung's blog series on "social justice".  I've only gotten to skim parts of it, but I am so thankful to have read what I've read so far, and I can't wait to read the rest.  I'm incredibly disturbed with much of "the church's" take on social justice these days (using the term "church" loosely)...there will be more on that here very soon.

I am Creating...I actually finished two scrapbook pages at our scrapbooking night!  (Are you clapping?? ;-))  I'm looking forward to all of us spending some time with our nature/visual journals both at home and at Hot Springs/Lake Catherine this week.  I'll try to post pictures....:)

From the Learning Rooms...No school this week due to Daddy's vacation...but still lots of learning going on!   That's one of my favorite parts about homeschooling. :)

One of my Favorite Things...scrapbooking!  It felt so good to actually sit down and play with paper and patterns and embellishments and just *create*.   I am determined to "get back in the groove". :)

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...A quick family jaunt to Hot Springs and Lake Catherine, relaxing family time at home, a fun outing or two here in town, and maybe a "house" project or two.  We'll see how far we get! 

A Photo to Share...

Yes, we are Baker Backers!  Watch for a full post on the "Baker Bus Stop" soon...and in the meantime, if any Arkansas friends are still undecided on a Senatorial candidate, check out Gilbert Baker!

Thanks to Peggy for hosting the Daybook each week!