Hmmm.

I really don't have anything to post of much interest, except just to blab on and on. I've been really sick, my kids have been really sick and my husband has been really sick. I feel like I've washed a million sheets, towels and blankets.
What's the hardest part about growing up? Washing your own puke/poop clothes. Yes, this is how sick I got...to the point of NOT being able to make it to the bathroom, which is quite funny to look at this sentence once I type it, because my house is all of 680 square feet. NOW THAT'S SICK. So, now that I've roped you into feeling badly for me, I'll stop. the bottom line is that I need to get better. With my awful pregnancies, and then having a hardly nursing, struggling to gain weight baby last Christmas, I feel like the holiday season has been taken from me for so many years. I just want to be healthy, that's really my wish. To be able to put up lights, hang garland and not be so obsessed with my home and cleanliness. I think part of the problem is that it's too small to stay clean.
So, I scheduled a trip to the Tree Farm (must give husband plenty of notice as he's pretty much anti-Christmas traditions), bought my hot cocoa, got out my music, am washing and cleaning NOW, so that when Saturday comes, it's GONNA be good, right? I'm GONNA get that tingly, "I'm so happy" feeling.
I've been memorizing Romans 8:4, "we do not live following our sinful selves, but we live following the Spirit." If I'm to continue to not be bummed out about a number of things, if I'm going to pursue living a life of joy and contentment, than I must not follow my every wim/woe. I must prepare each day to fight the battle and live each day with vigor (I used to have a car with that name!) and purpose. I cannot wait for the feeling of Christmas to come after my cup of joe. I'm not kidding..that sounds silly, but that's what I do sometimes...I think, "ahhh, once I can get to STarbucks and get my eggnog latte, then a little shopping, I'll feel better".
This morning I was weakly reading in Corinthians where Paul is very proud of his believers for supporting him and how Titus was encouraged. Paul says that by them encouraging Titus and so on, that they did not "embarrass" Paul. That made me think of Christmas. Is God watching what I'm doing and thinking I'm embarrassing him by all my ______________, whatever that may be? Not like there is this big judgeGod, waiting to smash me, but for me, it was a reminder of how I need to go about encouraging the saints and staying firm to what I know, instead of getting tossed by the waves, even if the waves are Christmas stresses-- Christmas parties I'm not invited to, present buying, the family dramas, too many parties (not for me, but maybe for you?).
O.k. nite. good to chat.