Inventory

PSALM 32 (NLT)

¹ Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
² Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,^[b]
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
³ When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
⁴ Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Interlude

⁵ Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Interlude

⁶ Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
⁷ For you are my hiding place;
you protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory.
Interlude

⁸ The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
⁹ Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

¹⁰ Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
¹¹ So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Joe and I did an inventory of the weeds we've let sprout up and grow in our lives. It was humbling. It was hard. We each listed our own on paper and then prayed and asked for forgiveness of the Lord and of each other. Throughout our 3 years of marriage we've done this a few times. I think the thing that makes it work is that we do this when things are "going well". We don't wait for problems to develop because it's not a productive exercise when you're caught up in the emotion of the moment. We decide to do it on a regular run-of-the-mill evening so that we can have a calm and somewhat objective look, and it's suprising how easily we fool ourselves into thinking we're doing a great job and we're not making ANY mistakes and we're SO SUPER AWESOME! But then to start digging leads you on a rabbit trail of seeing all the things we've let slide, all of the ways we've compromised and how it has effected our relationship with God and our quality of life day to day. We're not going looking for troubles, but we are keeping ourselves in check and trying to prevent the pride that can easily erode a marriage and the important relationship with our Saviour. When we root out the weeds, the crops can grow more bountifully.

Our Family Passage

Having a baby has really shown us a lot about ourselves. Joe and I are getting to see just what "stuff" we're made of. The demands of parenthood serve as a great excuse to slack off in many areas of our lives. "I deserve to eat this." or "I'm going to sit and watch tv today. I've earned it." Moderation flies out the window, and we get selfish with our time instead of investing it in our relationship with the Lord or in our relationship with each other.

That said, Joe and I sat by candlelight in our living room and talked about these issues. We were lead to 1 Corinthians and found a great passage which we are now working to apply to every area of our lives (with God's help). Two great versions of 1 Cor 9:24-27 are posted below:

²⁴ Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! ²⁵ All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. ²⁶ So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. ²⁷I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. [NLT]

^24-25You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.

^26-27I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. [The Message]

Walking a new path

I am BACK and excited to write again because I have things to write about now. Before now it would have been "still waiting for the baby to come.." but nowwwww.. BUT NOW..!! Liam has arrived and I am working my way up steep learning curve. I hope to keep the topics well-rounded and want to challenge myself to write about more than mommy-hood. I'm a mother now, but I am on a journey to discover who I am beyond that and how who I used to be squishes into this new mommy-shaped box I'm in.

It's a round box.. and it's large.. because that's the only kind of box I'd fit into right now.