Joyful Domesticity

Since having a baby, I realize that many of my previous routines have become very bendable and fluid. For the most part, that’s been a really good, necessary thing — keeps me from losing my mind, so to speak. 🙂 The one routine that I don’t like having to bend too much, though, is my daily time of Bible reading & prayer. I’m not a pharisee about it, so if the routine doesn’t happen one day, it doesn’t happen. No biggee. We’ll get back to it tomorrow. But I’ve been thinking about it recently, reading about some of my friends’ routines, encouraging one another to be diligent & thoughtful in whatever routine we have — and anyway, I thought I’d ask on here… WHAT’S YOUR ROUTINE??
What time of day to you dedicate to Bible reading and prayer?
Do you have a specific place where you do it?
What do the kids do meanwhile?
Do you have a set time to do devotions with your spouse or family?
What does that look like?
Do you have a prayer journal, and what does that involve?
Do you catechize the kids? What do you use?

My own routine tends to be coupled with my morning cup of coffee. I guess the idea is that without either one I won’t make it very well through the day, haha! 😉 I like it best when I do the reading at my desk, but sometimes I stand up at the kitchen counter or lie on the bed. Gabriel is usually right nearby, either in my lap or in his bouncy seat. After doing my own reading (right now I’m in 2nd Samuel — and I also always have 1 or 2 devotionals/books I read in addition), I read a Psalm to Gabriel. Then sometimes I turn on a cd of Psalm singing, and sing along while doing housework — Gabriel loves that. Steven is usually off at work during this routine, providing for our family. In the evening -usually during Gabriel’s bedtime meal- Steven reads to us as a family. I love that. I’m looking forward to the time when Gabriel gets a little older and we can incorporate some family singing & catechism into the scheme. I’ve never had an official prayer journal, I tend to use sticky-notes more than anything. 🙂 But I’m thinking it might be a really neat thing to start. Write down things I am praying for/about, and ways that I see God working in these things.

So there’s my bit. In an effort to encourage one another to daily pursue God and His kingdom, now give me your nickel’s worth! 🙂

* Ryan and Shelby named their little daughter Elise Marie. 🙂 Elise is doing quite well in the NICU, praise God. The road ahead is still long and needs to be bathed in much prayer. But we are all seeing God’s faithfulness to this baby and her family in both large and small ways. He is good and merciful! Did I mention that I was blessed to be able to visit Elise in the NICU the day she was born? She is lovely, delicate, and beautiful. Her tiny hand grasped her mommy’s finger, and it melted my heart. Next time, I’ll be sure to have a camera in my purse!
* Gabriel David was TWO MONTHS yesterday!! I can’t believe it. He’s almost 13 pounds now, and I think he may be taller than his daddy someday. 🙂
* I’m so thankful for my husband, who has been diligently taking care of me & Gabriel the last couple of days as I’ve been plagued with mastitis. Steven blesses me so much.
* I’ve had Starbucks twice in the last week. That = me being super spoiled.

That’s all the news I can think of. Pretty much sums up life right now. 🙂

Today we are rejoicing with our very dear friends Ryan and Shelby. God has blessed their family with a new baby girl! At only 29 weeks, this little girl is fighting valiantly to grow and breathe on her own. We are so thankful that our God is sovereign and is in control. We are thankful that the delivery last night was successful, and that Shelby is recovering well. We are thankful for the peace God has given the family. We are thankful for a great NICU and wonderful medical care for this baby.
If you think of it, rejoice with us and with our friends over this great blessing of a little girl!
And if you would, please entreat our Heavenly Father to continue His grace and mercy upon her. She is 2 lbs 9 oz, and we know that God has great plans for this tiny but mighty covenant daughter.

Just a few quick pix for everyone!
Steven is using the brand new baby carrier that arrived this afternoon. It’s a Babyhawk mei tai carrier and he loves it already! I don’t think I’ll get to try it out until tomorrow. 🙂

Gabriel got his passport in the mail this week! So now he’s ready to travel the world!!

I recently stitched Gabriel’s arrow tag. Each time God blesses my womb, we add an arrow to the quiver on Steven’s study wall. Last summer I stitched Covenant Hope an arrow tag, and this summer I stitched Gabriel David his tag. Pretty nifty!

This weekend, we left Gabriel for five hours in the afternoon while we went to a glorious wedding! It was a wonderful time of celebration — and it was fun to get out on a “fancy date” of sorts. 🙂 And yes, Gabriel did wonderfully in his grandparents’ care. 🙂 He even took his very first bottle!

I just looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and had to laugh.
You know how a mechanic’s hands get covered in grease, a surgeon’s hands get covered in blood, and the gardener’s hands are stained with green?
Well… I am currently covered in lots of spit-up, dusted with flour & cocoa, sprinkled with mud, sticky from waterproof spray, fuzzy with loads of dog hair, and there are drips of sweat on my brow.
Oh yeah, and I have coffee spilled down my front.
Guess what MY job description is!? 😉

Also… has anyone else ever done two loads of laundry before realizing you’ve forgotten to add the soap?!

Good Thing: adding a generous amount of thyme leaves from my garden boxes to dinner’s buttermilk biscuits. Mmm!!

Bad Thing: having insomnia from a too-busy-brain when both my husband and baby boy are sound asleep.

Women were not kept at home in order to keep them narrow; on the contrary, they were kept at home in order to keep them broad.
-G.K. Chesterton

I particularly like the above quote, as I see how many facets there are to my job description of homemaker: cook, interior decorator, gardener, school teacher, music instructor, husband’s lover/respecter/servant, nanny, nurse, maid, seamstress, launderer, financial balance person, professional shopper/errand-runner… on & on it goes. 🙂 I must dabble in every type of industry there is. Honestly, what a broad profession! What a privilege and challenge.
We homemakers are a very blessed breed.