A New Voice

I've been attending a MOPS Bible Study at a church nearby. We meet every week to discuss a chapter in The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian. This week's topic was "Learning to Speak Life."

So timely! On Sunday, we had to discipline Evan for rude speech. We talked about how our words can bless God and other people, or hurt them. On the way to preschool Monday morning, Evan said, "Guess what I prayed about last night, Mom."

I said, "I don't know. What did you pray about?"

Evan: "No, Mom. You guess."

Mom: "Ummm... you prayed that Corrie would feel better."

Evan: "No."

Mom: "You prayed for Gamma and Papa."

Evan: "No."

Mom: "I give up. What did you pray for?"

Evan: "I prayed that I would have a new voice."

Later that day, we had some other issues with complaining. At bedtime, Evan said, "I guess that prayer didn't work."

Me: "Oh, honey. Jesus said that whatever is in our heart will show in what we say. Let's pray that he'll change your heart. Sometimes that takes a while."

It's hard to talk about these things, because I still need heart change, too. My words do not always bless others. My heart is messy and too often self-focused. I long for "the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart to be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)

I need to keep praying this, for my children and for myself.

A Typical Day

I've been feeling sentimental. Evan will start kindergarten in September, so this is my last year of having him around during the day. He still goes to preschool three mornings/week, but he's home with Corrie and me on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

So I don't forget a typical preschool day:

7 a.m. Everybody wakes up. Evan usually comes in to check on us, letting us know whether he managed to stay dry all night. Corrie calls from her crib. When I pick her up, she gives me a big hug and "G'Mornin'!"

8 a.m. Hopefully by now, everyone is dressed. Evan gets himself together. He does not like to wear long-sleeved shirts and jeans, so he usually puts on a T-shirt and shorts. He often wears his T-shirts backwards ... on purpose. He likes the designs on the back of shirts, and wants to see the cool pictures.

We eat breakfast.

8:25 I start encouraging everyone to brush teeth and put on shoes, so we can make it to school on time.

8:35 When we should leave the house.

8:45 When we actually do leave the house.

On the drive to school, Evan requests a story about Star Wars. His favorite character is C3PO. In our stories, C3PO always pilots the biggest ship, uses a lightsaber, and defeats the Emperor.

Meanwhile, Corrie likes to sing songs about people we know. She chants their names. Currently, she sings "Mommy, Daddy, Corrie, Evan" and occasionally adds Daniel (her uncle), Jon Jon (a cousin), and Rosie (our dog) to the list.

9:05 We take Evan to his classroom. He is excited to be there. It has been a real blessing this year that he is mostly always glad to go to preschool.

Back in the car! More singing for Corrie!

9:25 Arrive at the gym for my Zumba class. Corrie hangs out in the childcare room with her little friend, Brynn. Brynn's mommy and I go to class.

10:30 Class ends. Corrie and I either run errands or go home for a little while.

12:00 Pick Evan up. If it's a nice day, play on the playground outside preschool for at least 30 minutes.

1:00 By this time, we're either at home or on the way. We have lunch together. Evan loves Flamin' Hot Cheetos, so it's a real treat for him to have a salami sandwich, flamin' hots, and a pear or some carrots. Corrie eats PB&J and some fruit.

1:30 Naptime! Corrie goes down for a couple of hours. Evan and I play a game or two (he likes Uno, Candyland, and a card game called Dinosaur Duel) and read some books. Eventually, I send him upstairs for quiet time. He plays in his room for an hour or so. He either tells Star Wars stories to himself or builds with Legos. Last year at this time, he would have been designing massive dinosaur migrations across his room, complete with rockslides and meteor showers. Now, he builds starships.

3:30 The kids are up and around. I get dinner started while they play. Sometimes we watch a video. Corrie loves Bob the Tomato. We might have a snack.

4:30ish We go outside to play. Evan rides his bike around our cul-de-sac, while Corrie runs in circles (shouting, appropriately: "Circles! Circles!).

5:30 Emmett comes home! Hooray! I finish assembling dinner. We eat together, then play.

6:45 Daddy gives Corrie a bath, while I clean up from dinner or read to Evan. Then we trade. I take Corrie to her room for stories and bedtime, while Emmett gives Evan a bath. After he puts on his PJs, Evan might play with his Dad for a while, or hang out with Mom. We read a book and a Bible story, pray together, then it's bedtime (around 8:00).

I will miss these days.

Concept of the Year

I read a post at Conversion Diary about her word of the year: "fortitude." Jen also mentioned a few other people doing "Joy." I don't know that I have a word of the year, exactly, but I do have a concept.

When we were visiting Emmett's family in Hawaii, we attended a church service at New Hope Diamondhead. The pastor gave a message about "Harvest," their church's vision for 2010.

The anchoring verses were Galations 6:7-9:

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the spirit, from the spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

I've been committing these verses to memory.

2009 was a long, hard, wonderful year. The first half of the year was marked by Emmett's final push to finish his doctorate. The second half of the year began with lots of goodbyes to our friends and our life in Chicago. We moved across the country and began to establish ourselves in a new place.

I feel like we kept seeing God finish things. We experienced a harvest of sorts: graduation, a wonderful job for Emmett, renters for our old house, then a new place to live. There was a great sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.

Now, however, we're at the beginning again. We need to put down roots! A church, friends, ministry to our community, at the university, schooling for the kids ... the list goes on. And I question, "Who are we in this place? What does God have for us here?"

So my concept for the year is ... sowing. Reminding myself to live for the Lord and not for myself. This is a new place, a new field. What kind of seed will I sow?

Here We Go Again ...

I have attempted to blog a few times in the past. When my son was born in 2005, my husband and I set up an info page for our parents and friends. That lasted about 6 weeks. Then, a few years later, I decided to get an account on xanga, because a few friends from college were using xanga to keep in touch. That has also fallen by the wayside.

So here I am, at my third attempt. I'm motivated to do this now because it's January. I love new beginnings. I've made resolutions, I've joined a gym, and now I'm starting a blog ... again. We're also starting our first year in our new home, in our new state, with Emmett's new job. I feel like things have been "beginning" for us since August.

I know this post isn't really about anything, but I will post more soon. I just wanted to get things rolling.