When Life Hands You Lemons

This past week has been an interesting one. We’ve been dealing with having to re-potty train Keekers, and a lot of issues that have been coming to a head in regards to the hearts of our boys. Both have been so stubbon and defiant lately, many a time at the end of the day I am in tears…and in prayer…over just what to do. We’re changing a little of the way we’re dealing with situations, praying for more grace, praying for heart change – and I think needing to get back into praying areas specifically for them. Only God can do the work in their hearts, but we still have such a responsibility in parenting, patiently loving (which I’ve been flopping at a lot lately) and leading and teaching them diligently, helping them to bear fruit.

I’ve been busily writing and participating in the 5 Days of Mothering and Homemaking blogger series – and I must say, it is a lot of work. To start the week off I got a really bad head cold. All I wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep, sleep, sleep. But through prayer and a bit of rest, I was able to find some relief and press on with the day-to-day, AND the writing . It has been fantastic to have this series to work on, because it has forced me to get out of my writing rut and back on my feet, finding a renewed passion for writing, even while sick. Plus, what the other bloggers are writing about has just been so inspirational, I’m excited to get things back to normal around our house!

This week has been jammed with activities – visiting friends we haven’t seen in a long time (the boys were playing beyblades forEVER!), encouraging a sweet friend as she looks into the journey of homeschooling,

catching up on some chores and trying out some new products,

seeing a great opera-play about the life of Laura Secord and hanging out at the lake downtown Toronto,

eating outdoors,

having breakfast for supper,

watching a big storm roll in,

removing permanent marker from Keeker’s legs (hand sanitizer, scrubbing gently, did the trick!),

and making some sweet finds at a random Value Village location.

So with the lemons that life has handed me, I have had to purposely find the good and the sweet, to make lemonade.

I have finally started back on the Joy Dare for the month of June, and it is truly only by God’s grace and realizing gratitude for what he has prepared for me, that I am able to find joy again

3 Things Orange

– felt play food orange, raspberry orange fruit bites (Keeker’s new “potty treats” :D), fresh peaches and nectarines

3 Gifts Funny

– kids horsing around, Maggie Smith on Downton Abbey, the “jokes” the kids keep telling over and over

3 Gifts Found in Christ

– a second chance, grace to find joy in the little things, strength to carry on

3 Gifts Ugly Beautiful

– weeds in the grass and the kids helping pull them, the mess all over the back patio meaning the kids had fun playing, cherry stains on t-shirts

3 Gifts in What You Are reading

– Psalm 103 vs. 2-4

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,