My Creed

I am reading a book right now entitled 'Bittersweet' by Shauna Niequist. I like it, I think it's flaky in spots, but overall good. Andy requested Shauna to speak at our mother/daughter retreat. When her assistant came back with a cost of $3000 dollars for the weekend, Andy asked me to do it. I'm alright with being the second choice, and said I would work for $2900. I'm kidding. Anyways, in one of her chapters she encouraged people to make a list of things that you are not willing to live without, and a list of things that you could give up. So here is my non-exhaustive list thus far.

I will not live without

1. Giving God my first, my best, my thoughts, my energies, my everything. This is my first and greatest goal. I strive, and fail, but continue to strive for that daily.
2. Giving my family loyalty, faithfulness, love, committment, time, prayers, good food, and a safe haven from all that threatens on the outside. For us that means low outside committments, intentionality in our home, as many meals together as possible, homeschooling in this season, bringing Jesus into every conversation possible, and limited media. This is my list, no pressure if yours is very different.
3. Pouring time into the home team, and occasional time to everyone else. There are people in my life who would give they're kidney to me if I was in need, love my kids as their own,and know me through and through. They are a small group of people and I love them more than life. I have also learned that Andy and I know many people and they are great, but they are not the home team. God is refining me to invest time wisely and appropriately.
4. I love to dance, share a great, healthy meal with sangria and then just talk for hours with great friends. Therefore a church that is against dancing and alcohol, but has potlucks of cheetos, KFC,doughnuts, and generic punch-not a great fit for me!
5. I love laughing, traveling, clean, clutter-free spaces, cuddling my kids, walking, biking, gardening, snowshoeing, reading practical Theology, remembering old stories and telling them again and again, sermons by Tim Keller, bluegrass, jam bands, early morning prayer journaling, before bed baths and dates with Andy. These are the moments that refresh and refine me.

I may have left some things out, but I got alot in there. It feels good to hone in. I would encourage you to do the same, because the truth is, we can't have it all.

More summer goodness.

We are doing a summer book club with friends. Our first book was 'The Secret Garden', so first party was a garden party. It also fell on the first week of camp so the menu included exciting things like cut-out pb&j and great value fig newtons. The girls went to the nature center, picked strawberries from our garden, and drew flowers, while we would casually ask them questions from the book. We wouldn't want them to know we were sneaking in school. Every Monday night Our home hosts the teen and college girls from camp. While we were studying Proverbs, the guys were playing video games...What???? It was so fun to host and look forward to many more. Now I need to go to bed. 5:30 comes quick!