A Few on Friday

Clever title, right? (insert plenty of sarcasm here)

Because Brian is a saint, he is off running a whole lot of errands for me (and he took the kids with him so I could convalesce in peace and quiet). Of course, the downside of that is when he dropped off a whole lot of boxes at Goodwill, he filled the car back up. With purchases from Goodwill. In the interest of full disclosure, he found super cheap end tables for our living room that we are going to repurpose, and the purchase was fully approved by me.

Rory lost a second bottom tooth this week, and it appears as if she has three teeth growing back in the place of the two she lost. That math adds up to a very scary total.

I respect this blog post From the Nato's blog SO much. Such a great, simple approach to Christmas that keeps the focus on Christ and it's a perspective we have tried very hard to incorporate over the last few years. This year we stuck to one gift per child and we're also giving them the gift of sponsoring a child from Compassion International. I'm very excited about putting that under the tree for them. And I don't know about you, but we do our best to include the kids in the gift wrapping, card stuffing, baking, etc., (even though it takes twice as long and occasionally makes me feel like downing the bottle of Xanax.). I just think it's important to involve them in the giving and the "work" that accompanies Christmas. They think it's a blast, of course, but I hope they're learning something in the process.

I'm probably never going to do this, but this idea from Teal and Lime is super fun.

I am finding my iPhone to be SO much handier than my big girl camera for taking indoor pics this time of year, but I also find myself missing the pretty shots that come from my big girl camera. As anyone who shoots in manual with a crop-frame camera can understand, shooting indoors during the  winter is SO hard. I am still dreaming of that full-frame camera one day.

I found these posts on the tragedy in Connecticut incredibly emotional and beautiful: (1) In search of the light by Big Mama, (2) The Brown House by Angie Smith, and (3) Lamentations by Jen Hatmaker.

And speaking of Jen Hatmaker, two things. (1) I cannot recommend her book 7 enough. It is life changing to read it. And scary. I'm terrified to re-read it. (2) This post on the Proverbs 31 woman is absolutely outstanding. It's lengthy, but so worth the read.

And since this seems to be ending on a melancholy note, my sister posted the words to this song by Travis Cottrell, and I just wept as I read them. So beautiful and haunting.

Oh hand of God
Lead me through this valley
Where roads are long and shadows deep

Oh Word of God
Light the way before me
Your every promise carries me

In tribulation
I'm not forsaken

Mercy come in
Shatter my darkness
And flood my soul
with hope and rest

My heart is heavy
Peace overwhelm me
Cover me again
Mercy come in

Oh breathe of God
Helper of the helpless
breathe life into these weary bones
Oh love of God
love that never fails me
Oh love that will not let me go

My soul is needing
A healing only you can bring

Mercy come in
Shatter my darkness
and flood my soul
with hope and rest
My heart is heavy
Peace overwhelm me
Cover me again
Mercy come in