Ten on Ten: February 2011

Take a photo every hour for ten consecutive hours on the tenth of each month.  Document a day of your life and find beauty among the ordinary moments.

Here are my photos from yesterday...I just discovered I only have eight pictures.  I guess that's because we took naps and then I had Bible study. 

Don't you love baby bed head?

I've never been more thankful for heated seats!

These are in style?

Valentine's party!  I think EVERY kid ate all the frosting first.

No heated seats in the recliner, tea will have to do.

We can't get away from these!

FMBC's latest cookbook.  This soup was a hit...with adults.

Preparing for Bible Study.  This study can be controversial, but it's worth reading. 

Until next month...

Scripture Memory

It's a new month and time for my third scripture memory verse.  I've committed myself to the 2011 Siesta Scripture Memory Team.  It's a challenge from Beth Moore to memorize two verses a month.  Our church has a monthly memory verse so I usually use it as one of my verses each month.  This month, however it was a verse I already knew:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this word, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.  ~Romans 12:2 NIV

I was searching other translations for something I could memorize so I'm on the same page as everyone else, just learning it anew.  I have become a fan of Your Version app for my iPhone.  It makes flipping from one version to another effortless.  I'm sure people at church think I'm texting or playing games on my phone, or being otherwise irreverent during the worship service and Sunday School, but I'm just reading along and digging a little deeper.

I decided on The Message's translation for Romans 12:2.  I think I may have gotten in a little over my head, BUT the verse speaks to me so much more in this translation:

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. ~Romans 12:2

• Do I fit in without even thinking?  
• Is my attention fixed on God?  
• He promises a change on the inside, but I also think it implies an outward change will be a result too.  
• Do I recognize what He wants and respond quickly.  How often am I obedient immediately?  I drag my feet, whine, complain, beg.  Then I obey.  I'm attempting to teach my boys not to act that way when I give an instruction?  Why can't I follow my on advice when it comes to God?  
• The world drags us down.  Ain't that the truth?  
• God brings out the best in me.  The Best!

I better get started on this verse.  It's a long one and I've wasted three days out of fifteen searching for what I want to memorize.

Terrible Twos

I'd read about terrible twos.  But, with my older son it didn't set in until three.  Of course much of life with him has been difficult...he's our strong-willed child.  And, much to the delight of his grandparents, he got a double dose, one from Russell and one from me. 

I thought life would be easier with my happy-go-lucky second child.  There were hints of the Terrible Twos at 13 months, but then it passed.  Then, last week, it was back and I was caught off-guard.  I wasn't ready.  My patience was nonexistent.  That happens when your children boycott naps two days in a row.  Everyone in the house was grumpy.  

So, I started racking my brain to recall what Charles was like at 2 1/2.  I didn't remember him being so difficult.  I started going through pictures and discovered this:

This is Charles in January 2009.  Both boys were born in August, so I KNOW he's the same age as Micah is now!

Was he difficult?  Was he acting like a stereotypical two year-old?  Then, I found this:

All the muffins have bites taken out.  So, yes, Micah is exhibiting the same behaviour.  One of the things that made me loose my patience last week was when he left his room when he was supposed to be napping, and took a muffin off the kitchen counter.  Why such a big deal?  The muffins were for Bible study.  The mix only made 12.  I had to make another batch of muffins.  I ran my dishwasher three times that day.  I was spent.  My patience was gone.

So here are my boys.  Both 2 1/2.  Both sitting at our kitchen table.  Both very different. 

The Holy Spirit revealed something else about that time in my life.  More on that later. 

Now my terrible two year-old has a cold and needs to be held.  So I'm off to the rocking chair, and maybe Grandma's house for two more sets of hands and a trip out of the house for the first time since Sunday.