Category: Home Life

I’ve decided to do another random post today. Too many random thoughts bouncing around in my head to keep to myself.

1. I got the sweetest email from Philip today. Seriously. How can he be so amazing?
2. Faith and I made a pie today. From scratch. I’m totally not joking. And it’s awesome!
3. My addictive personality comes to life during Christmas. If one strand of Christmas lights is awesome, 10 will be legendary!
4. Callie Grace likes to throw little wooden trains at Justus. Justus doesn’t like it at all. Any thoughts on this?
5. It’s sort of miraculous that a person can watch A Wiggly Christmas at least 10 times a day, and not go crazy. Well, it’s always been my theory that no crazy person thinks they’re crazy, so really I’m no judge on my own level of craziness.
6. I was thinking today that it’s a good thing I had already forced Nita to be my bosom buddy before she told me she had all three of her children without an epidural. Otherwise I would still be praying for wisdom regarding our friendship.
7. Philip has some awesome dance moves, and my new favorite thing is sneaking up on him while he’s in the kitchen practicing his moves. On the same note, Callie also enjoys Philip’s dancing.
8. After having a day on the mountaintop with God, the next day usually sucks. This has proved true for most of my life, and I’m learning how to fight it off.
9. People who think staying at home with kids makes for predictable days obviously do not have kids like mine.
10. Callie has become obsessed with make-up, especially lipstick, only she has a hard time understanding it ONLY goes on your lips.
11. the Lord is so awesome and miraculous, knocking me to my knees when I need it. It takes true love to do this, as all parents know. Discipline is way harder on the parent than the child.

I gave a homeless family a Starbucks gift card today.  I’m not saying this to be proud.  I’m actually a little appalled that’s all I had to give them.  Well, that or my Barnes and Noble gift card, but I figured that would help them even less.  And I really believe that they were homeless.  They were an older couple with a dog.  When the gentleman came to my car window I could see that he hadn’t showered for days and only had two teeth in his mouth.  I was filled with such regret that all I had to offer was a Starbucks gift card.  Not that that wasn’t a sacrifice for me.  I adore Starbucks, which is why my dear mother-in-law sent me the gift card for my birthday.  And I was, in fact, on my way to use it when I saw the couple.

But really, it wasn’t a sacrifice in the real sense of the word.  Philip would spend his last penny on Starbucks for me.  I know this because I know he adores me.  And I’m not saying that to be proud either, I have no idea why he does, but I know he does, as I adore him.  So it’s only any kind of a sacrifice if I actually give up Starbucks all together for awhile, right?

I meet so many good people, so many nice people, who would never give anything to anyone standing on the side of the street.  They always have their reasons, and they’re good reasons.  “We don’t know if they’re really homeless”, “They’ll probably just use it on drugs or alcohol”, etc.  The thing is, this might be true, but I remember reading somewhere a quote that said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”   Having fought great and little battles myself, I know how a true gesture of kindness made all of the difference to me.  Also, we are told that we are entertaining angels unaware.  What if, by some chance, I have an opportunity to do a kindness to an angel, some minuscule chance to show some token of my gratitude, small as it is, to a heavenly being?  Well that is too great of a chance to pass up!

Philip, who thinks of me above everyone else except for the Lord, will tell me the gift card was meant for me to use on me, because he loves me and wants me to have everything I want.  I understand this completely, as I’m trying to figure out what worldly possession I could possibly sell to buy him a Kindle, because Philip is the most important person to me, I know he wants one, I know he won’t spend the money on himself, since he won’t spend the money to buy himself new socks, but instead spends it on me or the kids.  (I digressed.  Sorry.)  But I did use the gift card for me.  I’m certain I can say it was way more of a blessing to be able to give it to someone in need, truly in need, and not just desperate for an eggnog chai tea latte with whip cream because she has two sick children at home.

I would love to hear your response to giving to people who are standing on the side of the road, or giving to charity at all.  Does anyone thing I just wasted a 25 dollar gift card?

Mornings in the Meade household are full of activity.  Callie Grace has an internal alarm clock that wakes her up no later than 6:30am, and she wakes up ready to take on the world.  Justus is usually awake by 5am, and he and I sit in the living room, mommy trying to wake up and Justus smiling at mommy as if trying to encourage her in this season of little sleep.  When Callie Grace wakes up, we get out the bible and read a chapter.  We are currently in Philippians.  She is so patient and will sit and listen without a sound!  We then sing a hymn, and have our prayer.  Callie folds her hands at the beginning of the prayer, and says “mamen” at the end of the prayer.  This is our morning routine that hardly ever differs.  The rest of the day I cannot say the same for!  However, I am so thankful for these mornings, because I’ve never liked mornings before.  Mornings are the time that, for whatever reason, I’m more aware of all of my failures and fears.  It’s often been the time I feel the farthest away from God, which seems so different from what most people experience.  I’ve always struggled with the discipline of morning devotions, but when the spiritual growth of my children is at stake, I find it much easier to sacrifice the time I would be just staring rather blankly at the TV.

My focus right now is on my prayer life, which has been sadly lacking.  I’ve always had a difficult time staying focused during my prayers, my mind often drifting to other thoughts and plans for the day.  in Donald Whitney’s book, Simplify Your Spiritual Life, he has a chapter on praying the prayer of others, and he recommends the book The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. I can easily say that this book has greatly helped my prayer life!  There are prayers for almost every topic that we encounter in our lives.  The prayer that has become so special to me is called Morning Needs.  It’s rather long, but I feel the need to share this wonderful prayer that aids me in getting my day started with the grace and clarity that I need.  The author of this prayer is not cited in the book.

O God, the Author of all good,
I come to thee for the grace another day will require
for it’s duties and events.
I step out into a wicked world,
I carry about with me an evil heart,
I know that without thee I can do nothing,
that everything with which I shall be concerned,
however harmless in itself,
may prove an occasion of sin or folly,
unless I am kept by Thy power.
Hold thou me up and I shall be safe.
Preserve my understanding for subtilty of error,
my affections from love of idols,
my character from stain of vice,
my profession from every form of evil.
May I engage in nothing in which I cannot implore they blessing,
and in which I cannot invite thy inspection.
Prosper me in all lawful undertakings,
or prepare me for disappointments;
Give me neither poverty or riches;
Feed me with food convenient for me,
lest I be full and deny thee
and say, Who is the Lord?
or be poor and steal, and take thy name in vain.
May every creature be made good to me by prayer and they will;
Teach me how to use the world, and not abuse it,
to improve my talents,
to redeem my time,
to walk in wisdom toward those without,
and in kindness to those within,
to do good to all men,
and especially my fellow Christians.
And to Thee be the glory.