Twenty Feet of Grace: Morning Has Come....and So Have Coyotes

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Morning Has Come....and So Have Coyotes

I woke up at 5 am today to the sound of coyotes howling behind our house. They've recently taken up residency near our property and we hear them almost nightly. I feel so Oklahom-y now.
I also awoke in a panic with the realization that if we sell our house before Matt lands a job, we're going to have a very complicated situation. Sure, we'll be out from under our mortgage, but where exactly will we live? What landlord would even consider renting to a family of 10 with no income? Moreover, if we don't sell and the bank takes our house, we'll be in the same dilemma. What then? The boys started school two weeks ago and there's a real possibility they'll have to transfer elsewhere. I know - they're adaptable and they'll bounce back - but I just wish they didn't have to carry the burden of all of this.
Throughout this journey we've been on for the past ninth months, I've always had a sense of peace and trust that everything will be fine. God is in control and He will take care of us. However, this morning my faith is weak. I have so many worries.
I don't know where this road will lead us. I can only do what's in front of me and blindly follow the path set before us. So, today I will fix breakfast for the family and throw a load of laundry in the washer; then Matt and I will scrutinize the job listings and prepare for another round of rejection letters. Tomorrow we'll wake up and do the same...all the while praying for greater faith and more trust, and fighting the battles and temptations that barrage us.
I still have hope, and I know that we have not been forsaken; but sometimes I tend to focus on what is true instead of the truth. What is true is that we are in a desperate situation and there does not appear to be a job in Matt's future anytime soon. However, the TRUTH is that God has promised to supply all of our needs and work all things for our good to we who love Him and are called according to His purpose. The TRUTH is that whatever happens, it is because God has allowed it and will likewise give us the strength to endure and keep going.
The TRUTH is that when I remind myself of these things, my faith grows stronger, tears of worry turn into tears of joy, and I have the strength I need to conquer another day.

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From the Mouths of Babes...

02/20/2012 ~ Luke has some unique observations about his baby sister. Yesterday he commented that my belly isn't big anymore because "I don't have anymore people in it". Today he asked me why Karis hates me. A little shocked, I replied that she doesn't hate me. He then asked why she's always mad at me. I guess he assumes that her crying means she's angry?
10/08/11 So excited to see a hard rain in our parched area, Luke looked out the window and exclaimed, "Mud pubbles! I wuv mud pubbles!" (I love his vocabulary!)
Me: "Seth, I've told you a hundred times not to leave your cup at the water dispenser while it's filling." Seth: "It's fine. I won't forget about it." ....Three minutes later Seth runs frantically from his bedroom into the kitchen:"Dang it! Mom! Quick - I need a mop!!!"
The younger children are really into Star Wars right now. Katie was drawing a picture of some of the characters and wanted to make sure she labeled them correctly. "Mom, how do you spell Qui-gon Jinn?" I told her that I wasn't sure, to which she replied, "That's okay. Can you tell me how to spell "Big-Headed Guy"?"
Sometimes, a single letter in a word can change the whole meaning of what one is trying to say. For example, Abby said, "This gravy I made is so good because I added turkey droppings to it." After we all gagged, I asked her if she meant to say "turkey drippings". Oh yes, that's what she meant.
Katie, Katie, Katie... (shakes head in laughter) When asked what she saw at the museum the other day, she replied, "a dinosaur and lots of dead animals!" And later, when she was talking to Luke -- "I went to the museum with the girls because I wanted to see dead animals." So, nevermind all the cool stuff like pottery from 315BC or ancient Roman coins; nope - that place was just full of deceased creatures.
We've been working with Luke to help him speak more clearly. He's often hard to understand because he can't form some of his sounds correctly. Today he asked for a "nanana". I corrected him by slowly saying "ba-na-na" and asked him to repeat it. He tried but still couldn't pronounce it correctly. I urged him to try again, and he replied, "I tan't! My boice is goken!" (Let's see if you can decipher that one...)
I overheard Madalyn singing this the other day: "I've been working on the railroad, over the hills and everywhere, I've been working on the railroad, that Jesus Christ is born..." I guess the name of that song is "Go Tell It on the Railroad."
Ok - I talk with my hands, alright? I'm just very expressive when it comes to body language. Anyway, last week the kids watched one of the old-school Star Wars movies, and a little while later I witnessed the funniest moment: Katie was telling Nate all about the movie, and she said "...And then Darth Vader "died". " She made quotation marks with her fingers when she said the word. She didn't know I was watching until I laughed out loud. When I asked her why she made the gesture she replied, "because that's what you do, Mommy!"
Luke looooves bugs. If he sees one on the porch, he'll step on it and then run inside to get a tissue, use the tissue to pick up the dead bug, and then bring it inside to flush in the toilet. The other day as he was following the routine, he decided to try something different. I asked him where the bug was, and he replied, "in my mouth!". I was speechless.