I’ve chatted with several friends in the past 24 hours.

One of them is super tech-savvy and was teaching me some things about Pinterest and apps and such.

There is so much to learn about how to take good photos, advertise posts, monitor comments.  (Which I don’t always invite very well…sorry…I know you guys are out there, though!  Some days there are more of you than I would think, so I block it out of my mind when I write.  Otherwise I would be sorely tempted to only entertain you.)

Some of these “rules” for blogging I am learning…some of them may never happen.

But a friend said it best today:

I like blogging because it lets me say things my way.  To replace misconceptions others may have. To share our story.

Yes.

Don’t you love it when someone puts words to the deepest reason behind things?

I want to share what I write.  In fact, I think that is what God’s asking me to do.

But if it ever interferes with the most important things, that is not okay.

My husband is my best friend.  Time with him at the end of a full day is my highlight.  Not sharing with him makes it as though it didn’t happen.  He’s my other half.  I rely on him (appropriately, I think) in so many ways.  He relies on me to do my part in our home.  And outside the home.

My children are such gifts and I don’t want to take the precious time with them that I have for granted.  They are a stewardship.  I want to invest well and God has used them and motherhood to break me and remold me.  I’m grateful.

Told you we had new family pics taken, right?  Our friend Emily did them. She’s so sweet and you can tell how comfortable our boys are with her.

Without my friends, oh my word.  We are deeply committed to our church, our spiritual community.

Stress month is slowing me down some.  Pausing in the middle of something is a great discipline.  It helps me cooperate with what the Spirit is doing.  Do my part of the equation.  Then release control of the results.

See what I mean?  If I’m learning about evaluating our schedule, trusting God, and pausing to remember Who is in control,  but it turns into an exercise away from the above things…I would be missing the point!

But at the same time, I’m giving up on shame.  It is just another way to be prideful (absorbed with yourself).  So I want to show up and offer what I have.  And really all I have is what He’s been teaching me!

Anyway, I may not have a ton of original thoughts right now or be super out there with sharing them. But, as another friend said today, it’s when we’re rushing around to get to the next thing that Mean Mama comes out.

Yes.  Let’s lessen that.

Can I get an Amen?

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Some pictures:

One of my favorite afternoon “pauses.”  We still get a nap once or twice a week!

My big helper

Pumpkin hunting

Preschool friends!

Painting our pumpkin today…complete with blue hair!

My first attempt at Chai Coffee.  I found the recipe on Pinterest, but the link doesn’t go to the correct blog to give appropriate credit.  I will post it here, but it’s not my original recipe!  I claim no authorship.

1 cup ground coffee

1 tsp cinnamon (especially Vietnamese cinnamon from The Spice Merchant!)

1/2 tsp cardamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ginger

Wonderful!