Brain Dump

Started a book called Spiritual Parenting while nursing Megan tonight.  I’ve had it since Christmas, just haven’t gotten around to reading it.  I kind of wish I could read it along with someone else so I had a discussion partner.  Some quotes from Ch.1:

– “In this book we will explore what it means to seek God as our primary audience – to please Him alone with our parenting and seek Him alone for the strength and power to do so.”

– “This truth revealed to me that it was not my job to merely control my child’s behavior and by doing so somehow create a spiritual life for him or her.”

– “Nowhere in the Bible does God ask me to spend my days managing the deeds and actions of my child.”

– “What you believe and where you aim your heart determines the direction and outcome of your entire life for eternity.”

– “So spiritual parenting reminds me that it’s not my job to merely control my children’s behavior, but rather it is my job to model with authenticity what I have in my relationship with God though Christ.  And hopefully what I have is worth passing on to the next generation.” (ouch)

– “Essentially, [this book] asks the question, “What is my end goal in raising each of the children God has entrusted to me, and then how will I parent them with that end in mind?”

 

My heart is heavy today for a friend who has walked away from her faith.

 

I miss having deep thoughts.  But I don’t have the energy to fuel discussions or arguments right now.  And mostly, what I hear people arguing about just seems irrelevant, even if it is deep.  It’s funny how a decision, made years ago, to choose people over ideas has lead me to this place.  It’s probably why I never really went back to grad school.  Spending hours “discussing” the current topics just stopped seeming real or valulable.  Of course, I’m not naturally that good with people, and I’m naturally better with ideas.  So maybe it wasn’t the most obvious decision (I still wonder about it), but I don’t regret it. 

 

I don’t think Facebook status updates are a good place to hash out deep thoughts or try to challenge other people’s ideas.  IMHO, write a blog, write a book, have a real conversation with a real person, or just keep it to yourself.  Feel free to disagree with me.

 

Eric’s grandpa is still not well after having a pacemaker put in at the beginning of March.  They have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow with a neurologist that we hope will reveal some clues to what’s really going on.  My sister’s FIL is also having surgery in the near future to remove a spot from each liver.  I think they’re just sort of waiting for a diagnosis of cancer. A friend that I grew up with lost his mother to cancer last week.  There’s just a lot of people tired, hurting, worried people around me when I lift my eyes off my daily “grind” of naps and snacks and diapers.  I don’t know how to help them either.

 

I’m tired tonight.  But I’ve slept better the last couple of nights.  I’m trying to get better about giving the kids a chance to ‘self-soothe’ before I run in.  And I actually told the twins flat out at bedtime the other night that “I can’t find my pacifier” is not a good reason to call for me.  Oddly, they haven’t called me for that reason since.  Maybe they understood…maybe they just haven’t lost their pacifiers in the middle of the night.  Who knows?

 

I can’t do a sit up.  Not a real one.  Not without cheating.  Apparently, my core is WAY not strong.  Good to know, I guess.  Maybe I should work on that.  We shall see.

 

I want it to stop dropping into the 20s at night for good.  We’ve been able to go out in the afternoon (temps in/near the 40s).  But the mornings are too cold for me to walk outside.  I’d like that back soon. 

 

I’m done now, I think.  Happy Tuesday.