God is Better Than ________.

Every night the girls repeat a phrase or two about who God is or how He relates to them.

"God is good."

"God is wise."

"God made me."

"God loves us."

They have all of the above phrases memorized, plus a few more. Edwin created a new phrase for the girls.

"God is better than milk."

This is an odd point of theology, I admit. I mean, who would question such an obviously true statement? For our girls, however, this is a major statement of faith. Milk is their good. They love it. They pant for it. They get down-right desperate for it. In order for God to be better than milk, God has to be really good.

The question now turns to me. There are the things in this life that seem absolutely necessary. Basic needs that could never be stripped away. Then God does something beyond gracious. Beyond kind. Beyond good. He takes them, and then He proves that He is better. Here are some of those things in my life:

• God is better than the the dreams I have for my children. When we found out about DeLaynie's learning issues, I began to question what that means for her long-term. This is when I learned, and continue to learn, that God's plan for DeLaynie is better than my dreams for DeLaynie.
• God is better than having a home. We were homeless for a while, but we were never Godless. By homeless I mean that we didn't know where we would be living. God always provided shelter for us, even if we didn't know when or how it would work out.
• God is better than serving Him our way. When we were told that we couldn't do overseas mission work, it was a hard pill to swallow. How could God not want us to do that? It was in that time that we learned that it takes a very big change in our plans in order to follow His plan.
• God is better than chocolate. While we were still planning on going overseas, we had a problem with getting through the medical requirements. I was too fat. So I had to lose weight. I lost fifty pounds, and although the last ten are going to be gained and lost many more times, He has always proven Himself to be greater than any food I may want. Sure, we ended up losing our medical clearance because of other problems that were in no way under our control, but it was still an important step of obedience to lose the weight, go through the program, find ourselves jobless, homeless, and clueless, and finally discover the place of service God had prepared for us. It was a process that has helped us to understand just how good God is, and it all started with realizing a very basic truth:

God is better.

What has God proven to be better than in your life?

A Book You May Be Interested In

A friend of mine has a son with spina bifida. It's a rare form of the disease that doesn't confine him to a wheelchair, but he has had more than his share of challenges in his young life. My friend, Christine, has responded by writing a book, Isaac's Back Adventure. In it Christine has transformed her son's struggles into a string of adventures. Check it out!

My New Desk

Well, it's not really new. It was given to us when we first moved here, but it's sat in our garage until this morning. At that point, Edwin and I fought the monstrous desk until it was upstairs, safely tucked away into a recess in our bedroom. It required quite a bit of effort, but my new workspace has been created.

Now, the question that you may be asking is, "Why would a stay at home mom require a workspace? What work is she doing at that desk?" That is a valid question, and the only answer that I can offer is that I'm not sure. What I do know is that for years I have been wanting to work on a project. I've wanted to have an assignment. Lately, I have remained without clarity regarding the specific nature of the assignment, but the need to begin my work on it has grown in intensity. I don't know what this means, but it has become a matter of obedience.

Thus, I requested a desk and some office supplies. My prayer is that when I sit at my desk, the job that lies before me will take shape. Feel free to join me as I petition for the leadership of my Shepherd. I don't know when or how, but I know that He will answer in His time and His way. And I guess that's the only thing I need to know.

I Would Be So Philosophical Right Now...

But I had to exchange my intelligence for a medicated haze in accordance with the agreement arbitrated by DayQuil. I have been assured that once the cold virus has been irradicated, the need for falsified health will be alleviated, and I will be able to return to something similar to intelligible.

Until then, I will continue to struggle to read my own hand writing, stumble up (and down) the stairs, and publish written excuses for why I can't do the very thing that I'm doing.

Porch Painting 101

Edwin made the goal of getting the porch painted this summer. Summer's over, but the porch project has barely begun. It isn't that he's been lazily swinging in a hammock, sipping on lemonade. He's been busy doing things like ministry.

He has, however, managed to turn painting into a family event. Ella and DeLaynie got in on the act on Saturday.

Daddy tried to prevent any overly ambitious dips into the paint bucket by crowning himself Paint Czar.

DeLaynie tried to teach Ella proper technique,

but she was a naturally brilliant house painter.

Ella Goes to Mimi School, and a New Tradition

Ella journeyed into the world of society today. She began her new routine of part-time daycare at what shall henceforth be called Mimi School. (The kids call my daycare owning friend "Mimi".)

I took a large amount of time thinking about Ella's outfit for today. DeLaynie actually wore this last year. It was tight on her then, which is good because she was a year older than Ella is now.

Unfortunately, DeLaynie wasn't helpful in documenting her experience in this outfit. This is the best picture I could find for comparison.

Ella was excited about going to Mimi's house for school.

This is Ella's backpack that her Gigi bought her. Isn't it the cutest backpack that you've ever seen?

I decided to start a new tradition this year, and crochet each girl something for her first day of school. Ella got a bracelet...

and DeLaynie had a headband. Hopefully, I'll remember to continue this made up tradition next year.

First Day of School! First Day of School!

DeLaynie (finally!) started school today. I wish that I could say something terribly maternal about how much I will miss our precious time together, but I think school makes everyone in this family a little happier. Especially DeLaynie.

Of course, there was that tiny lump in my stomach as I passingly contemplated the idea that my daughter was leaving my care. Then I remembered that she was leaving me, but she wasn't leaving my Father. And then I remembered that I would only have one kid for four hours. The lump miraculously disappeared.

DeLaynie felt the need to be very dramatic about the weight of her backpack. She does the same thing when she carries Ella's diaper bag, usually only containing two diapers. I wouldn't worry about her back.

Just before her bus came, I decided that it was cool enough to warrant a light jacket. A few moments later, DeLaynie was on her way, off to learn and grow.

Tomorrow is Ella's first day at my friend's daycare, where she'll be two half-days a week. (Yea for me!) It's sort of a make-shift mother's day out program. Now, if you'll pardon me, I have to do some laundry, figure out Ella's outfit for tomorrow, and bask in the glory of fall.

The Most Popular Post...

that I have ever written was a mere afterthought. I decided to make tutus for the girls, and since I couldn't think of anything else to write about, I took pictures as I went. Thus How to Make a Tutu was born. It still gets more hits per day than any other post I've ever written. Not even the current post surpasses the tutu making how-to. Apparently, tutu making is a very popular pastime all around the world. People from Malaysia, Australia, and the furthermost have wound up on my little blog out of a simple desire to frock their little girls in tulle.

I have considered writing more how-tos. I just can't think of anything else that I know how to do. At least nothing that could be turned into a how-to post. I know how to treat a bite wound on a preschooler that has been incurred from a toddler. That really isn't something of which I want photographic evidence. I know how to remove a popcorn kernel from a toddler's nose (possibly the same toddler who bit her sister), but it simply didn't occur to me to grab the camera as I was going for the tweezers. I know how to remove most bodily substances from fabric. But I don't want to think about it long or hard enough to write a post, and who wants to see those photos?!

For now, my how-to days seem to be at a stand-still. I'm sure that I'll think of something else in which to educate the world... eventually. Maybe I'll discover a hidden ability to teach kids how to drive. Give me eleven or twelve years.