Strengths Finder Test

John had me take a Strengths Finder test today. The results I got seem very accurate...it made me want to run the test on a lot of friends/family! :-) I love finding the strengths of other people.

Anyway, here are my 5 strengths.

When all we see is mud, He is making diamonds...

Yesterday, John and I watched our two children take hands like the best of friends and obediently walk down to get into our car to go to church. John watched this, and in reflection of what the last year has been like for us, said to me:

"Wow, Sarah. We have two really good kids. How did we do it?" (Translation: "How did they SURVIVE?")
Me: "I think that's the key - we didn't".

We both were quiet. John said something about how our kids were forged in the fires of Mount Doom. :-) We both laughed. It has been a hard year for them in many ways, but they have blossomed under the gracious care of God. I especially worried about them over the last year: how could they do well without their Mom really "there"? I somehow thought God needed me in order for Him to raise them well... :-) Even though John and I often felt we had no control over their lives in providing the appropriate parent/child time, support, structure, training, and discipline that they needed (to sum it up, LOVE!), the LORD took care of them in His own way, which we are realizing is far better than what our own could have been. Some examples...
They have seen their parents cry - and most importantly, cry out to God. They have seen us wrestle to understand the loving discipline of the Lord, and that He is good no matter what. And I hope they have seen how desperately we all need God, that we are nothing like perfect, but that God is; and He is always there.
And Isaac has shown a compassionate spirit, especially toward me, that may have never come about otherwise.


This is just a good reminder that ALL things (YES, even the most horrible and seemingly pointless...just fill in the blank!) work together for the good of those who love God. We will never know all the ways in which He does and has done this for us until we reach heaven, but we can sure praise Him for the ones that He does allow us to see. I'm seeing a few right now. Thank you, Jesus!


Behold the mercy of our King,
Who takes from death its bitter sting,
And by His blood, and often ours,
Brings triumph out of hostile pow’rs,
And paints, with crimson, earth and soul
Until the bloody work is whole.
What we have lost God will restore -
That, and Himself, forevermore,
When He is finished with His art;
The quiet worship of our heart.
When God creates a humble hush,
And makes Leviathan His brush,
It won’t be long before the rod
Becomes the tender kiss of God.

-- John Piper, The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God

Great day for a craft! So, we donned our painting clothes...

Isaac painted very carefully...

Our neighbor stopped to talk to me for a bit, and I got distracted...but hey! Painting feet is fun, too! :-)

Isaac was very particular about where the eyes had to go on his truck. It was pretty cute.

FUN!

Loving the Standard

Two great posts by Nancy Wilson! Loved these:


http://www.feminagirls.com/2011/06/07/loving-the-standard/

http://www.feminagirls.com/2011/06/06/standards/

Isaac's prayer today...

"Dear God, please help Mommy to get better, and please God, please help her to have another baby, either a new baby or the one she used to have..."

He went on and told God how much he would love to have a new baby too. He was so sweet, it just melted away my sorrow for that moment.

How often does a mom get to witness her child tenderly caring about her in such a way? In all the darkness, God does send out a beam of light now and then that makes me realize, just like a pinhole in clarity, but there just the same...something big is happening. God's kindness to me is so infinite that I can often only see it in a human way. But praise God for that little bit that He allows me to see! I want to hold onto them for use in those darkest moments.

Today Isaac Prayed...

"Dear God, thank you for this day, and thank you for the beautiful girl that you gave Papa to marry."

!!

That blessed me today! :-) That kid must learn a lot from his Papa.

I love Mondays where...

... The carpets are covered in grass, leaves and dirt, things in the kitchen are out of place, and furniture has been moved into awkward places...

Because that means our house has recently been full of dear brothers and sisters in Christ - the Family of God! How amazing that God has made us all one in Him, in His Spirit, through Jesus Christ. And we are all clumsy, finite, imperfect -- yet He loves us and calls us His own and unites us together in Him.

We praise you, Lord, for Your mercy toward us!

I have begun a new war with myself. It is a new thing, as I only started it a couple weeks ago. Today it began with the realization that I needed to put the kids to bed. Upon walking outside, I found Claire's pants all wet and laying on the concrete, and her little hands plunged deep into a bucket of soapy water. Along with the water and the soap, you could also find the remainder of the chalk box (along with the remainder of the chalk), a handful of rocks, and a piece of paper. Isaac was also stooped over the bucket with a bottle of bubbles in his arms, turned at just the right angle for dumping its contents, and saying "more barbecue sauce". I soon learned that they called this "soup". They were both giggling and dirty, spilling the soup at intervals over the concrete. A small portion of the concrete remained dry, until Isaac decided that it looked like an alligator and that he needed to "close its mouth". Upon this realization, the alligator was covered with soup and was no longer to be seen.

Many other things transpired this afternoon, all adding to the battle within myself... The desire to be reasonable mixed with a desire to let fun and creativity go on forever. God has really givien kids the innate ability to enjoy life! And all the scrapes and bruises can't keep them down for long. They are a precious example to me everyday.