Weekend Update

We have had such a great weekend!

I already wrote about Clark's team winning on Thursday night, and Logan and Morgan having their engagement pictures made on Friday. And then yesterday was the whole windbreaker debacle with Joshua.

Logan and Morgan came back to our house on Saturday night around 9. Holly and Aaron were here, too, so it was a full house! I loved it!

We all got up and went to SS and church. We just about filled up a whole row at church. Made my heart so happy! I love my family!

Part of our sermon was about the fact that people in the age-group of my children...only 4% of them know Jesus as their Savior.

That's F-O-U-R percent, people.

We are not doing our job as Christians. We are the first to tell our friends the exciting news that we're engaged...or we're pregnant...or we just got a new house. Girlfriends will always call or text each other about a big sale at their favorite store. Why are we so timid about sharing with others the BEST news of all...the life-changing, life-altering, life-SAVING news that Jesus Christ loved us enough to die for us (John 3:16) (Romans 5:8). And that He rose again, victorious over sin and the grave...all so that we can have a relationship with HIM...and so we can know that we will live forever in Heaven with him after we die.

F-O-U-R percent.

He made a point about not everyone being like us, and not every town or city being like ours. There's a whole big, ol' world out there...with people and cultures and values vastly different from our own. It's something I'll admit I don't always think of as I PACK MY PEW WITH MY OWN FAMILY.

Ouch.

It's easy to get complacent, isn't it? Or maybe that's just me.

After church, everyone came over for lunch...that's our 4 kids, plus Aaron and Morgan, and then we invited a college girl from church to come over, too. It was so fun! Loud, crazy, people everywhere, lots of talking...FUN. I loved it!

This weekend has given me a window of insight into my mother-in-law. In the beginning, I thought she was the BEST listener. She gave me a ton of her undivided attention and seemed to genuinely be interested in what was going on in my life. And then, all of a sudden, she wasn't.

I mean, of course she was still interested in our lives...but one day, I just noticed that she was not like she used to be. She seemed preoccupied and flustered, most of the time.

Of course, by the time I noticed this, both of Jim's brothers had gotten married, adding two more people to our family. When we all started having kids, things got busy for everyone, especially when all of our families came to her home at the same time, like on holidays. Not that she would want it any other way.

Having the kids here this weekend, I get it now. And I feel bad that I thought anything negative about her.

I have the sweetest mother-in-law, and she loves all of her children and grandchildren equally. Except Joshua. We all know she loves him more. ;)

Just kidding.

Except not.

Anyway, this weekend, I felt like I couldn't devote enough time to each person/couple. I am interested in each of them...what they're doing, thinking, dreaming...all of that. But just as soon as I would start with one person, something would come up...and I would get distracted, and then that moment was gone.

Time has a way of teaching us many lessons, because, looking back...things are always clear, right? What we did, what someone else did. Could'a, would'a, should'a doesn't matter. It's what we actually DID and we can't change that.

But we can learn from it.

And try to do better.

Perspective.

I am relating more and more to my mother-in-law during this stage of our lives. I'm ashamed to say that, in the past, I judged her by my perception of what she was doing, and why. Instead, I should've remembered her heart...because I know it...and I should've given her what I hope my children will give me: GRACE.

"...we have all received grace after grace from His fullness." John 1:16