I Was Born for This.

Hello Dear Ones.

Although I miss all of you terribly, I was right in what I thought God was saying to me about taking a blogging sabbatical. Okay, a sabbatical, totally. While the Pastor has been away on sabbatical getting refreshed and refueled, I have been able to do the same. My time at the office has been very limited. From home, I am able to check messages, check e-mail, basically handle just about everything. I pop into the office a couple hours each day and handle what I need to (snail mail, for example).

This time has been incredibly relaxing for me.

I have been doing this every day:

If my children come home and I have no flour remnants on my clothing they wail and gnash their teeth.

I’ve eaten several of these all by myself. Sometimes with cinnamon and sugar swirls.

Sometimes just slathered with butter. Or toasted with a couple of fried eggs on top.

And I’ve been eating way too much of this:

I’ve been spending time each night with Shawn (aka our first born soon to be off to college) working on this (he LOVED any and all puzzles as a child…it was his idea to work on this):

All the while listening to this guy continuously:

But most importantly I have been spending gobs of time here:

I am so thankful for this time I have had. I had been feeling so distant and disconnected from God lately. Even when I sat down in Mame’s chair with all of my materials around me to study. Or when I put it all aside to pray. But worse yet, when I would get on me knees and be quiet.

And hear nothing.

When I finally cried out to Him, loudly…reading scripture aloud…speaking aloud (sometimes crying out loud)…verbally confessing my sin…that is when I heard the soft, comforting, still Voice again.

He and I have taken quite a roller-coaster ride together the last few weeks. My shock, anger, confusion at Nick’s death…the raw, agonizing pain Nick’s mom is experiencing…the confusion and pain in my own sweet children…

All of this He has used to remind me of something I had long forgotten, if I ever truly knew it. My family is my first ministry. Immediately following Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength… family is my priority. Their needs are the first needs I must meet. Their pains are the first wounds I must tend to. Their joy is my life.

Thank You, Jesus, for reminding me…

I was born for this.