House to Home

     As I lay here in bed, light from the eastern morning sun is gleaming in through the curtains of my room. My daughter is snuggled up close, breathing quietly, wrapped in her pink forest animal blanket that she burrows in while she sleeps. In the next room over, my son sleeps with a mountain of stuffed animals, his constant companions in the night. My husband left for work early this morning. He didn't quite beat the morning sun, as I could see him in the first rays of light getting ready for his day and leaning over to kiss me goodbye. And so I lay here, in the peace and quite, thinking and pondering the stillness, the coolness of morning, and the beauty of light. We have lived in this dwelling, this house, for over a month now. While it has been a wonderful month, it has also been so imperfect and marked by stress that, in moments of frustration, I have already wished this house away more than once. The hypocrisy of that fact is not lost on me. The woman who would be happy if only she had a house, standing in a house wishing it gone. But that was only a couple days, and for the vast majority of these days I have been happy, so very happy. I have been home.  

     Last night marked the first time that Lawrence, now 2-years-old, called this house home. He was looking at some library books and I was anxious to get him to Nilla's house so I wouldn't be late for class. He had told me he was looking at a book several times and I told him he had to come. He lifted up that voice like a lion and roared, "I staying HOME!" And then my heart melted and all my frustrations fled and I asked, "Is this house home?" Without looking at me he answered, "Yes," and kept reading. Until last night, this house was "new house" and our former apartment was "home." When we would leave anywhere he would asked me if we were going home or to the new house and I would gently tell him that new house is our home now.  But my words could not persuade him. Home was home and new house was simply new house.  When the word "home" came from his lips, it was as if my whole idea of this house changed. The moving dust finally settled and my heart relaxed into these walls. This is our home. The place where we gather together. Our home base for life. We go from here. We come back to here. This is home for all of us.

    To my mama heart, this place could not be home until it was home to my little boy. Those words off his tongue were like the king's seal, the official word, the commencement of our days here at home. These walls will hold many tears and laughs. Many stories will be lived and told. This house will grow us and watch as we grow up. This is home. We start here. 

When your baby turns two.......

Yesterday was my son Lawrence's 2nd birthday and it's left me feeling amazed about life and time and growth and oh-my-my-word-I've-been-a-mom-for-two-years! 

You think you can calculate time, count it by days, determine which stages will begin at what times, and then, BAM! life hits you with a date that makes you want to throw all those calculations out the window because, "No way has it been that long!" 

That's basically how I've felt all weekend, because on one hand I feel like Lawrence has to at least be 6 based on the amount of time he's been my kid, and on the other hand, every time he tells me he's two and holds up three fingers (working on that) I can't believe that we wasn't born just a couple weeks ago.  

This life is beautiful, and long, and fast, and crazy normal, and I love it. Lawrence was my baby who made me question whether I could love life, love being a mom, and love him well enough. When he came into this world all my former ideas and ideals about being a mom shot straight out the window and left me feeling more raw and vulnerable than I had ever felt in my entire life. For months, I felt like life had been ripped right out from under me and I would never find my way back. Truth is, two years later, I love being a mom. I love this new life. But I had to realize that I was never going to go back to that pre-Lawrence person. My whole life changed and it was awful for a while. But now I don't see that change as awful anymore. I've grown. My capacity has been stretch to new limits and what was once completely impossible is now possible, even normal. Gosh, I still end up in a puddle of tears on a regular basis, but as my son has grown, so have I. And in the midst of it all, God has been infinitely good to us both. 

Which brings me to this past weekend. We had a small party.... *cough* (small being 40 people cause that's just how we roll), to celebrate Lawrence's birthday and the whole day I felt like it was a party for me just as much as it was for him. (Part of that could be the amount of donuts involved) It was like I got to sit back and celebrate turning two all over again because really, it was my second mommy birthday and that's amazing to me! Two years ago I could not imagine making it this far (and having another baby on top of that...Ha!). But by the grace of God, and I mean A LOT of grace, here we are. Lawrence turned two. Mommy me turned two. And boy did we celebrate. 

Celebrate

That's an important word in this life. It's easy to feel like this word can only be associated with the big things. The major milestones. The kind of things that make people stop and pay attention. But sometimes we need to just celebrate those milestones in our own lives. This weekend, we all celebrated my sons birthday, but I also took a few moments here and there to celebrate this milestone in my life. Being a mom has been a huge struggle for me. It hasn't been easy. There have been moments I've resented it. But God has been faithful to me even in my mothering and he is daily teaching me to love my children, to be patient with them, to speak gently, to respond rather than react, and to show them what love looks like. It has been a very imperfect last two years, but here I am, two years into it, and I can finally say I love it. And that is something to celebrate. 

You have something to celebrate too.

Think about your life. Notice areas where you have grown. Acknowledge those areas and celebrate them. Don't be embarrassed to celebrate even the smallest milestones. Remember that God works in mighty ways but even more so he works in the little day to day things to accomplish his purposes in our lives.

So celebrate. Eat a donut. Make a toast. 

Celebrate

So many donuts! 96 to be exact. Best idea ever!

Somebody was extremely exhausted after partying it up all day. ;)

We have the best of times together. 

And....just because chubby baby cuteness is the best! I could just eat this little thing. 

Just A Few Everyday Things

Small disclaimer as I begin this post:
I am currently eating pistachio gelato right out of the tub. I threw the lid in the recycling bin immidetely after taking said tub out of the freezer because I have every intention of finishing it all. So that's where I'm at right now. I just felt the need to forewarn you.

(Disclaimer on the Small Disclaimer: There was only about a 1/3 of the gelato remaining in the tub. I have not totally let myself go.....yet.)

Fall is a good time. I mean after we put aside the fact that my 18 month old has decided that "terrible twos" is a good idea, and that my belly isn't slowing down in the enlarging process, and that the only set of keys to one of our vehicles has been missing for 24 hours, and that there's more dishes in the sink....again. After we put aside all those things and a few nameless others, life has been great.
I mean that.
I think it can be super easy to become so engrossed in the few things gone wrong in life that I miss the hundreds of things gone right. Like my freezer kept my gelato cold! And not just cold but frozen! Lately, I've really been wanting and needing to remind myself of the good things. It's really easy to sink into frustrations because life just doesn't always go according to plan.
Wait. Scratch that....Does life ever go according to plan??

But here's the thing. Life doesn't usually go as planned. There will always be things to frustrate me. There will always ALWAYS be more dishes. However, there will also always be a faithful God who loves me and keeps on caring for me. (And that is so true for you too) That will not ever change. Even though right now seems really frustrating because KEYS WHERE ARE YOU!!!! I think it's still really valuable to stop and take a moment to just celebrate a few really good things. So that's what we're gonna do.

And then I'll get back to searching for keys.

Alrighty then. I'm done with my gelato.

1. Books

I just want to talk about books for a few minutes because I haven't touched on this yet and really that's ridiculous because books are a HUGE part of daily life in our house. I've been reading quite a few lately and I kindof hate my tendancy to start and work through about 5-7 books at a time. The thing is, I have literally always been that way and I don't see it ending soon.

"Giddy Up, Eunice: (Because Women Need Each Other)" by: Sophie Hudson
This book is great! I love Sophie's way of telling a story and her southern charm. Also, this whole thing of women needing each other is right on! I can't even begin to tell you how deeply blessed I have been by the fellow women in my life. I have been so very blessed in this area, but I know that there are many many women out there who either do not feel like they have fellow women speaking into their lives, or who feel inadequite to speak into the lives of others. This book speaks to all of that and more in a way that is just plain enjoyable to read.

"Confessions of a Shopaholic" by: Sophie Kinsella
I realize that I am slow to jump on this bandwagon. I've seen the movie several times and just wasn't convinced that reading it in book form would be worth it, but I should've just held to my mantra that "the book is always better" and just started the series sooner. That's right, it's a series. A very addicting series. Also, fluffy. I feel I should be sure to mention the word fluffy because I feel like these books are reading dessert, but nonetheless, I have been enjoying them so much.

How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm: And Other Adventures in Parenting (from Argentina to Tanzania and everywhere in between) by: Mei-Ling Hopgood
Seriously, this book is so fun. I love when a journalist experiences something firsthand and decides to take that thing and fly with it, usually resulting in an awesome book. Mei-Ling does that so well when it comes to this whole parenthood thing. We live on a pretty big planet and it's just fab to learn about the way other people in this world handle the same types of growing people problems we all face at some point. And really, do not for one moment think that you have to already be a parent for this to be interesting. If you like simply food and culture, then you'll probably enjoy this book.

"Nature's Day: Discover the world of wonder on your doorstep" by: Kay Maguire
So funny thing, I got this book from the library, feel in love with it just in time to return it, and then happened upon it again on Anthropologie.com......my daily reminder that once in a while I do have good and expensive taste.  Great book. Beautiful pictures. I would really like to own this one someday.

2. Food

I know I mentioned this in my last post, but I am really enjoying pumpkin spice everything. Muffins, Lattes, Poptarts.... At the beginning of October I had a small party with a few girlfriends and man did we eat!  I don't have all the recipes from the evening but let me just list off the menu for your mouth's enjoyment.

Sweet Potato Chips

Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates wrapped in Bacon

Baguette with Brie and Raspberry Jam

Pear and Gorgonzola Salad

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Pumpkins

Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake

Apple Cider Donuts

Spiced Nuts

Lattes; Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Spice, & Chai

If that list didn't help remind your tastebuds of why fall is wonderful, I don't know what will. Also, here is the recipe for the Sausage and Rice Stuffed Pumpkins. It's a Taste of Home recipe that my mom has been making for years and I feel like it's become a tradition to me. If I don't get to make this at least once each fall, you'll end up hearing me talk about it way too much in non-pumpkin seasons.
Here's another recipe that's been great this year: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares. I cannot tell you how excited I was to find a simple, quick, easy Martha Stewart recipe to make! It's perfect. Truly.

3. Jeans

In my last post there was mention of the fact that at the time I was wearing non-maternity pants and just holding them on with a Pinterest hack that included a ponytail and belly band. Well those days are over. OVER! I just can't anymore and frankly I don't need to because I WENT SHOPPING! My sister Rachel stayed with us for a weekend and she is a fab shopping partner. She is honest, to the point, but also super encouraging. Ladies, you all need shopping partners like this. I have a couple in my life and honestly I have banned myself from clothing shopping without them. Things just do not go well otherwise. Anyhoo, I had a giftcard to Kohls so we went there. First off, it took us like an hour to find a maternity section, even after asking an associate, but that's a whole another discussion on stores with bad layouts. Once we actually found the section good things happened.
Two words: Bootcut Jeans.
Now I have embraced the Skinny Jean thing. I really have. But my heart belongs to those good old bootcut jeans that have the capability of making you look good and feel good all at the same time. Skinny jeans just do not do that for me regularly. So anyways, all that to say I now have a pair of maternity jeggings (found at a consignment shop before Kohls) that look way better than they sound, a pair of maternity skinny jeans that don't cut off any blood circulation (another problem for me), and a most glorious pair of maternity bootcut jeans that I am in love with. Right now I can't say enough for the Oh Baby brand by Motherhood. They are winning in my book. (Just in case any of you cared to know any of that.)

4. Podcasts

Different stages of life bring forth different circumstances. There have been times where my life was so busy I felt like my brain had no time to even think and process things. But in this stay-at-home-mom season of life I have found that though I am physically busy a ton, my brain begins to feel like I'm forcing it down to an 18-month-old level and starts begging for adult engagement. On really awesome days that adult engagement comes in the form of actual people that I see and visit with, but some days you just have a lot at home that needs doing and on those days I have found podcasts to be the most helpful brain engagement ever. And nowadays smartphones make it so easy with all the different apps to get a hold of really great, quality podcasts. Here's a few I would really strongly recommend.

iTunesU
This app gives you access to hundreds of lectures and podcasts from schools and universities all over the world. I've listened to whole classes from Dallas Theological Seminary, Covenant Reformed Theological Seminary, Oxford, Yale, and some others I can't remember the names of at the moments. Some of those have been on Christian Counseling, History of Ancient Greece, Psychology, you name it they got it. There is so much goodness to be found here and it's FREE

TED Talks
I love TED talks. I listen to the podcast put out by NPR, so they edit the talks and put ones that fit together into a radio program with some extra interviews and such. These in particular really engage my brain because they are deep and intense enough that I learn new things every podcast, but not so intense that I can't focus while doing normal life things like cleaning, cooking, laundry, and comforting my kiddo. Also I love the diversity of speakers that they have.

The Big Boo Cast
So this one is just so much fun. I'm not gonna say it's super deep most the time, and I'm quite sure both Melanie Shankle and Sophie Hudson (the cast) would back me up on this. ;) But, this is the most enjoyable podcast I have ever happened upon. It's like I get to sit in on the conversation of two best friends and listen to them talk about life. Not to mention I love both of these authors so much and their books are just great.  The only problem is that I am from the midwest and if I listen to too many of these podcasts in one day I will begin speaking with a southern accent unconsciously and it has a tendency to drive the hubby a little bonkers.

5. Friendships

Alright this one is going to be short and sweet because I'm in the process of writing a post solely on this topic, but let me just say, find your tribe people! I know that phrase is almost cliche at this point but I love it because there is nothing like having that group of people around you who know you and love you and can speak to your life directly. I have been so blessed to have a few friends that I have grown up with and there is such a goodness when you can watch your friendship change from insecure teenagers to still a bit insecure adults, but who can really drive one another along in the Lord. I am so grateful for my friends I've had for 20 years and for my friends that I've had only a few months. I receive so much of God's goodness from these individuals. So find your tribe, people! And stick with 'em!

Alrighty, that's it for now.

TTYL

Kaila

Hey, what's up? It's fall, y'all!

So, It's really quite obvious I'm great at consistency when it comes to blogging.  Sorry peeps, it's always been that way. However, my favoritest time of the year is here which means a whole bunch of relaxation by the fire with PSL's, flannel coziness, and good books....theoretically.
Why not celebrate this season, right?
We only get it for approximately 2 months of the year around here in the good ole north Midwest. Personally, I wish fall would just take it's good time, last 6 months, and let the other seasons fight over the other 6. Really, it would make my life happier and solve all my problems. (Maybe not all....)
Anyhow, it seems to me that fall has a lot of little things that just make it grand. There's so much to find joy in, and since for many of us fall can be a really busy time of year, it's super important that we take a moment now and then to breathe and take in those little things so that we don't miss all the goodies heaven just dropped, in our attempt to survive. So to start off what I hope will end up being at least a couple of fall themed posts, I want to simply share some of those fall things that I'm really loving so far. Be forewarned, a couple of these things aren't exactly fall, but for me they add to the broader picture of what fall is looking like for me this year.

~ Outdoors!

Okay let's just take a moment to have a happy sigh that leaves are ever so slowly starting to turn and even though the weather is being moody we have started having a couple cooler days now and then. Unfortunately, it's been a bit rainy the last couple weeks ruling out regular patio fires at the in-laws, but it has not stopped me from heading outdoor a good deal more. Pregnancy and humidity just do not go well together, let me tell you. I like my sweatshirts and jeans. Also, life is just better with a toddler when mommy actually enjoys stepping outside. This winter will be interesting....but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

~Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING

Now I know for some of you this is a gag-me subject, but I confess to having an ardent love for pumpkin. As soon as September came it was like every grocery store around began throwing up pumpkin stuff and I'm not too upset about it. However, I should also make mention of the fact that every year Trader Joe's goes through a maple fad and that's pretty great too. Two words: Maple Water. Don't roll your eyes at me. It's not every day that I will spend $2.75 on a carton of water. But oh my word it is so delicious. It feels the way you wish vitamins felt; healthy, refreshing, vibrant, energizing. I've never actually checked to see if there's any nutritional value. It feels so healthful, I don't feel the need to disappoint myself. And hello, what is Aloe Water??? Anyone tried that one???

But I digress.
Pumpkin Spice. So here's the thing. Pumkin Spice Lattes, or PSL's, are one of my favorites. I join the masses en route to Starbucks every September to begin a terrible calorie buildup that will not end till December. (Who am I kidding? That's when Peppermint Mocha's become a thing again.....no calories there.) The thing is this year I was so disappointed. My first PSL was so sweet I had a stomach ache at the end and had almost thought I should just give up on them forever when I tried on from Beans and Leaves in Long Grove, IL. You could actually taste espresso with your pumpkin spice! I think angels began singing....or my kid began kicking my bladder...one of the two happened. Guess who will be heading down to World Market the week to purchase some Torani Pumpkin Spice syrup? Yeah. Shameless.
Also muffins. I'm dying to find a new Pumpkin Spice meets Chai muffin recipe. Is that even a thing? I don't know, but it sounds like it should be a thing in my head. If any of you find one send the recipe my way....PLEEEEEEEEEASE!!!

~ Candles

Let's talk about candles for a minute. Anna and I recently stepped foot into Anthropologie and now I'm like ruined because I really want a new fall themed candle, but I want one that smells as beautiful as an Anthro candle....and comes in a snazzy tin. Must have the snazzy tin. I did find a Bath and Body Works candle called Fall Leaves and I'm not sure that it actually smells anything like leaves but it did smell nice. Cranberry Mandarin has been burning a bit this year. I feel like it could go either fall or Christmas, but I'm just gonna go with fall right now because it is delightful and so stinking yummy. Plus every time I burn it I want cranberry bread with cranberry maple butter because that is what my sweet sister gave me when she gave me the candle and I'm not gonna say that the whole loaf got eaten in a day, but I will say I couldn't find anymore the following morning. Darn house elves....
I will say, Saturday was a win for me because I went to TJMaxx looking for a butter dish and came out with Pumpkin Spice Tea Candles!!!

~ Plaid Blanket Scarves

Being pregnant has meant a little more effort this season in the clothing department. All those super cute skinny jeans that come out in the fall just do no work right on my pregnant figure - that could partially be because I've been trying to wear non-maternity jeans, button open, held on with a pony tail and belly band. Don't ask. I promise I'm going shopping this week for some maternity friendly pants. All of that to say, even though some of the cute skinny jean styles aren't workin out so hot, the blanket scarf is doing it's thing just fine. And Pinterest is amazing when it comes to new methods of scarf wearing. I'm loving it.

~ Fall Flowers

Is there anything as beautiful as those end of summer boquets? I don't think so. There's a lot of good gifts God gives us in the fall, but those flowers man. I mean just look at mums for example. Hello Beautiful!  All the Reds and Yellows and Browns and Oranges and oh it's too much. I just love it. It's one of my favorite parts about having a birthday in September.

Which leads me to...

~ Celebrations

I feel like fall was made for celebrating. There is nothing like gathering with family and friends in the fall to celebrate anything and everything. Celebrating Apples. Celebrating Pumpkins. Celebrating birthdays, and adoptions, and Haloween and Thanksgiving and Fires and S'mores - I celebrate S'Mores. I know people say nothing brings the family together like the holidays, but gosh I feel like fall brings the family together without the stress. And I love Christmas, but there's just a peace in the fall that kinda gets pushed aside for the joyous craziness of Christmas.


Well anyways, that's enough for this post. At some point this week I will actually decorate my house for this season I love, which includes painting a ton of acorns gold. Also I might try glittifying a pumpkin.....maybe. I'm on the search for a pair of size 10, comfortable booties. And let's not forget books. But I have to save something for a future post.

Bye for now!

These Joys

Things Change.

They always do. In one way or another things are changing and most of the time you can do nothing about it.

Change can be good.
Change can be amazing.
Change can be exhilarating, like the edge of a drop on a roller coaster.

But change can also hurt.
Like a knife.

In the last couple of years I have been in a season of big change. I felt embarrassed admitting that before. Like, "Hello, of course things are changing. They do for everyone." But it's nothing to be embarrassed about. A lot changed really quickly. Marriage was big. Moving out of my parents house was big. Starting new jobs was big. Getting pregnant was big. Having a baby was big. And while they are all perfectly normal, beautiful things, they were big for me. I really struggled to not drown in the sea of change that was swirling around me.

In the midst of all that was going on I found myself looking back much of the time. Looking back on friendships. Looking back on single life. Looking back on freedom from my baby. Looking back on things that were good. Most of the time though it was friendships.
I hated looking back and seeing how friendships had changed and yet, I couldn't seem to stop. They were memories. Precious memories. But as I kept going back to them I found myself becoming angry and bitter with some while desperately missing others. I felt myself becoming needy and self absorbed and while it is not wrong to be needy and to crave friendship, I used that neediness to feed bitterness rather than love. I spent hours thinking about how those dearest to me were so far away and how those nearby had moved on without me. My mind was a torture room and I was frustrated.

Isn't it amazing how when we keep our eyes focused inward we miss so much of what is around us? Our eyes see people but our hearts see abandonment. Flowers bloom but all we see is work or weeds. Food is served but all we see are piles of dishes. Wet chubby faced kisses are given but all we feel is slime to be wiped away.

Have you ever been there?

It's not like we don't want people, or desire to see beauty, or hunger for food, or love those little ones. But everything lessens when our hearts are unsatisfied and are longing for the good in the past or even the good of the future. The good here and now becomes less real. Less beautiful. Less good.

But loneliness is still real.
Sadness over friendships lost is still real.
Heartbreak is still real.
Distance is still real.

So what then. How do we learn to live in these present joys? How do we get past the hurts, pain, and loneliness that can come with life's changes.

That was the question I was wondering just a couple of weeks ago when someone dear to me read me these verses. I wrote them out and have had them hanging around my house since to remind me of the truth in the words.

The person who read my those verses encouraged me to look back on those days full of deep friendships and closeness with joy and gratitude! Those were good days! Those friendships were rich! The ability to go wherever, whenever made it possible to do wonderful things. That is something to celebrate!

But

Don't let that ruin this day. Don't ask why those days were better. Instead, thank God for those days. Look back on them with joy for the goodness in them. But then look at today. Look for the goodness and the joys in today and...ENJOY them! Be thankful for them!


So for the last two weeks that has been my goal. It's so tempting to fall into bitterness. But, every time I find myself looking back with longing on past days I stop and thank God for those days. I thank Him for those friendships. I thank Him for that energy. I thank Him for those late nights and that freedom.
And then I thank Him for today. And I begin to list off the goodness here today. I thank Him for those blessed friendships that dynamically may have changed but in heart and soul have only grown stronger and more vibrant. I thank Him for the sun and flowers. I thank Him that I get to watch my son grow. I thank Him for quiet nights at home. I thank Him for my husband.

It's funny how when you thank God for the goodness then and follow that up with thanking Him for the goodness now, life becomes so much more alive. Bitterness and anger don't fill my heart, but rather songs and giggles and joy! These joys that God's given today may look different than the ones He gave us yesterday. The gifts we had last year may not be the gifts we have today.
But when we embrace the change and seek to thank God for the goodness here, we can look at the past with joy. We can look at today with joy. And tomorrow starts looking pretty good too.

Copyright 2016 Hannah Babiak Photography

A final word.

Loneliness, hurt, and sorrow are very real things. I don't want to diminish that. I also don't want to make it sound like, "Hey girl, grow up and be happy with today. That'll solve your problems." It's not that easy. It's a process that takes time and consistency. In the beginning, finding today's goodness may feel hopeless. But like so much of this life it is a daily practice. God is a faithful Father. He will not let His child whither away in loneliness and despair. He loves you sister. He wants you to enjoy His good gifts today! But it's a life long journey. And His faithfulness is everlasting. 

Let It Be Clean

"Why do I still have to do dishes? They're just going to get dirty again!"

I'm pretty sure I've been saying and asking myself this question since age 5. Having my own apartment as well as my own dishes to clean, hasn't changed that question much.
Every time I go to take on the horrid dish pile it feels like a little bit of my free spirit dies and a little bit of a 1800's maid starts to reveal itself.
Walking past styrofoam dishes at Wal-Mart is by far one of my greatest temptations.


"Why? Why are we still washing dishes in 2016? We should be past this point." Do any of you agree?


My husband works part time as a window cleaner when he's not in class or writing papers for seminary. His job, in my opinion, is basically only one half step up from having to wash dishes all day. I mean, HELLO, that window in that restaurant will be dirty again in about 5 minutes when that 2 year old sits down and sticks his grubby hands up on the window.  But my husband doesn't hate his job. In fact, when the temperatures are above freezing he actually likes it! Crazy, I know.

A while back I took the time to ask him why he enjoys it. What about it gave him such thrills. He smiled and told me, "I like that I get to reflect part of the nature of God. I get to look at the dirt and disorder on these panes of glass and say, 'Let there be order and cleanliness.'"

I think at the time I may have raised one eye brow - or attempted to at least - and nodded my head slowly with skepticism, but the more I think about it the more I wonder if that's the key to really finding joy when we work. As much as I hate doing dishes, I do find a certain satisfaction looking at the cleared counter and shiny sink. Same with laundry. I still think it's ridiculous that wrinkles can't please just be in style, but there is definitely a sense of relief and happiness when it's all folded and hung. And maybe, just maybe that's because God put that desire to create order out of disorder in us when He created us in His image. I mean check out the creation account in Genesis 1! That's a God with a very specific order and plan. And then, as we read through the entire Bible this complex and yet simple plan to save His people from the chaos and disorder of sin emerges. It's mind boggling!

Here's the thing. I still don't particularly enjoy doing dishes. My husband finds it "therapeutic" as he says. I don't. But, I don't hate it as much as I once did. And even in my dislike, I can take joy in that I am reflecting my Creator by cleaning the glass bowls and plates. Because let's be real, it would drive me crazy if I just left dishes piling up on the counter for a week. As much as dishes can be a pain, I need them to be done.



So now it's you're turn!
What monotonous everyday chore do you dislike the most and how can you take joy in it this week? 
I'd love to hear your thoughts! B&IC isn't about me and the other great ladies on here telling you what to do. It's about us sharing in this life together. Drop a comment below.




Also, for all those people gearing up for spring cleaning here's the first de-cluttering book I've every successfully been able to read through and actually put to test! :D (Big cheers all around)

"The Simple Living Handbook; Discover the Joy of a De-Cluttered Life" by: Lorilee Lippincott. The one and only thing I've got against the book is it's cover so check it out if you're looking for some inspiration for this year's spring cleaning.

Alrighty then, I need to go do some dishes. No, for real. I really need to go do them.

TTYL,

K.

He Is.

He is faithful, when I am not. He is faithful, when I fall flat on my face. He is faithful, when the sun rises, and when it sets. He is faithful when I can’t see through the tears. He is faithful when I am on a spiritual high. He is faithful when I come off that high. He is faithful when I’m singing out all my goofy songs. He is faithful when I’m spitting mad. He is faithful when I can’t take it anymore. He is faithful when everything is going my way. He is faithful when I am emotionally challenged, basically all the time. He is faithful when I fall apart. He is faithful at noon. He is faithful when the stress gets to me. He is faithful when little kids won’t obey me. He is faithful when the dryer won’t dry. He is faithful when the car overheats, when I’m having a bad hair day, when I have to say no, when I want to say yes. He is Faithful. Always. Forever. Eternally. For He has promised to never leave me or forsake me. Ever.