Camden Boo Bear is napping in my bed. After I finish eating we're going to check on the blue bird house to see if any new nests have been built and then we're gonna feed our little chicks. Shawn's been building a chicken coop and it's definitely more involved and time-consuming than I would have hoped. When he is working on a project (which I'm thankful isn't that often) environmental chaos reigns in our house. For anyone who has three or more kids, that in itself is project enough!
I used to really spaz out when we got behind like this. Women tend to need order more than men; at least that's so in our home. I remember praying during crazy times like this in the past for peace in the midst of all of the craziness. I knew that God could make me feel peaceful even at times when things around me appeared just the opposite. I'm AMAZED at the way He has answered that prayer! Sometimes I barely recognize myself because He is constantly renewing my mind and improving my heart and my character. I know for a fact that the changes that I see in myself are not of my own doing, and that only the Holy Spirit of God can do such a work in a person.
God doesn't always perform the miracles that we ask for, but He is a miracle worker nonetheless. If only we will open our eyes to see...
I was just outside reminding the little Nocillas what a blessing it is to be at home eating lunch on the deck, listening to the birds, and eating strawberry shortcake. They've never been to school so they really can not grasp the freedom that this lifestyle affords. Many people think that home schoolers are sheltered...but I am perfectly fine with that. There's much in this world and in the public school system that I strongly prefer that they not have to deal with right now.
I've heard someone say it like this...
If you have a tiny plant growing in a green house, would you bring it out and plant it in three feet of snow? No! Definitely not! It's not ready to survive and thrive in such harsh conditions. I believe that it's better to build them up, nourish them with love, and teach them truth so that their roots will be strong and better able to endure the harshness of life, and to make right decisions when those times come. My job is not to shelter them from the storms that life brings. Rather it is to be by their side, teaching them to view every situation through the lens of God rather than the lens of the world, and to respond accordingly.
So just like anyone else I have a choice to either focus on the crumbs on the floor, the clothes that need to be folded, and the dishes that need to be washed...or I can choose to embrace the little sweetnesses of bird songs, chicken poop (kidding!), sweet little crying babies, and the feeling of the sun on my skin.
Too blessed to be stressed...
