Water!

We have water! So much water, in fact, that I almost took two showers today. It wasn't intentional. I stayed up until about 1 a.m. working on taxes. Joy. I got up at 6:00 and took my shower, but because Bill had such a strenuous day yesterday, I didn't want to wake him trying to find clothes, etc. So I just put my jammies back on after my shower. Later, when I was able to get dressed, I almost got in the shower again. Can you say, "Tired."

...and I feel compelled to explain that most times when we are w/o water, we have a stock of water bottles we can use for hand washing, teeth brushing, etc. We usually also fill a cooler, etc. before the water is turned off. But it happened w/o my knowledge this time. Something about cleaning out the toybox and putting boys to work that kept me from realizing what Mike the plumber and Bill were doing downstairs. Also, there have been two times lately that our family seemed to be completely out of water bottles. First, the day my office decided to quit stocking them in the breakroom fridge...and YESTERDAY! Oh, well. We are on city water for the time being, and all is good.

The morning started with Riley trudging through math. He wasn't liking it at all. But a mocha with cool whip, chocolate chips, and chocolate drizzle on top gave him just enough energy to get through the rest of the lesson. *wink*

Then we moved onto history, and things got exciting. We were studying the Vikings and how the north men (Norsemen, Normans) had settled in northern France and William, Duke of Normandy set out across the English Channel to defeat Harold, was renamed William the Conquerer, and become king of England. As we were studying, I began remembering tidbits from the Gifford family coat of arms. Since its my hubby's family, its not as fresh on my mind. But I'm remembering...Norman descent...William the Conqueror, and of course the fearless family motto, "Death Before Dishonor."

So we made the connection and Riley got excited. We looked up the Gifford Family Coat of Arms online, and found this:



This is the coat of arms that Bill silk screened in college, and we have hanging in our living room:


Riley thought it was cool that he was William (brave protector) Riley (strong and courageous) Gifford (Death Before Dishonor) III, of Norman descent. Things began to click and history came alive for Riley today. We got a little lost in it, and just made it history day, studying Britain's Bayeaux tapestry , a 20" x 200 ft tapestry hand woven by the women of Britain over thousands of years that tell the story of William the Conqueror, the battle of Hastings, and Harold.

Love Is not "A Work"
...and I just have to share something that clicked with me this week. I'm such a worker. My mentor is challenging me to find times that I literally do nothing and just sit before the Lord. It is HARD. To just sit. No talking, no reading, just listening, reflecting, soaking. I'm not good at it. It's uncomfortable. Funny, that also this week, we have been borrowing my brother's truck while we wait on the insurance stuff to settle out. Wouldn't you know that he has removed the stereo from this truck? Silence. Complete silence. Driving from work and back, I feel my skin might just crawl right off my skeletal frame as I'm reminded how uncomfortable I am with silence and truly try to embrace the moments. Coincidence? Doubt it!

So this week, Deborah Hiebert spoke at MOPS about God's love and the love relationship He desires for us. I need to hear it every day! Something clicked this time, though. Something I've never really grasped. As God has put before me that my job this year is to love Him and to love others, I realized that I even see love as a task. I need to work at loving. I need to show love by this and that. But this time it clicked. Love isn't a job. It's not a work. It is a WHO. Love is God. God is love. It is Him in me that creates that love. He loves through me because He is in me. His love for me enables me to love Him.

Yesterday, I started to get out my study that I've been doing on anger to move to the next lesson. I've truly enjoyed it, but realized that even that is a guide to hash away at all my flawed components to get rid of anger. Would I be angry if I was able to sit before the Lord and let Him love on me? Would I struggle with anger if I was drenched in His love and ready to pour it out to others?

Ruth Brown shared at our group the lesson she'd learned from Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself, which I've done before - but hadn't remembered. We need to "pour out" all our "junk" to the Lord, then let God "pour in" to us, so we can "pour forth" to others.

So, dinner is in the crockpot, laundry is being caught up, I'm showered, and we've finished school. But the most important things done today aren't things I've done. They are the smiles, the high fives, the hugs in the rocking chair, the racey text messages back and forth with my husband, and the moments of just connecting. Not because I've worked at it, but because I've surrendered my heart to the Lord today and let Him just cause me to pause, enjoy, and pour forth.