Not Alone

I joke frequently that Jen and I need to be together to accomplish something. We just help each other when we have "blonde moments", "duh moments" - whatever you want to call it. I think I have them more than Jen, so she helps me more... well I think I needed you this morning, Jen. I was making the baby a bottle. I usually make individual bottles, put them in the fridge, and warm them up when I need them. Well, last night I decided to try making a day's worth in a large container and just pour it in the bottle when I need it. (I have done it both ways with previous foster babies in the past, but the majority of my foster babies have been G-Tube fed, not bottle fed). And it has been a LONG time since I have had to get up with a baby in the middle of the night... I also usually have a nurse to care for the babies while I am asleep; b/c most of the foster babies I get have major medical issues and require 24 hour monitoring. Anyway... back to this morning... I use the playtex disposable bottles, you know the kind you have to put the liner in. Well, while making the first bottle this morning,I decided to pour QUICKLY, b/c last night whenever I poured the formula into the bottle I made a mess - it just didn't pour right. So, my plan was to pour quickly to try and avoid the mess. So, I turned the container up, pouring quickly, only to discover that I forgot to put a liner in the bottle. So ALL that formula that I was pouring "quickly" to "avoid a mess" ended up all over the counter. ARGHHH!

Every now and then I like to have a few hours to myself, to be alone, to enjoy quiet. But for the most part, I do not like to be alone. I enjoy people's company - well most people - lol. I could write several pages on how Matt and I work together in almost every area of our lives to help each other. My children help me too, and of course I help them. Even Ty and La who are only 6 have chores and repsonsibilites, and we focus on helping each other because we are a family. Sometimes we give them some $$ for helping, sometimes we take them for a special treat, and sometimes we don't give them anything but just remind them that we help each other because we love each other.

Life is much easier when we are not alone. Immediate family is not the only way to have companionship, help, friendship, love, etc. Church should be, and sometimes is, a place where we can meet our human need for friendship, love, and help.

I don't know about your house, but at mine, we don't always succeed at loving each other unconditionally or uplifting one another. We try, but we sometimes fail.

Right now we have a few scripture verses placed around the house, but the one that is in plain view for the kids; and was written and decorated by Madi, is "Do everything without complaining or arguing" Phillipians 2:14

I think I am going to add another one today. I get a daily verse sent to me by Biblegateway.com, todays verse was this:

Philippians 1:9-10

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,”

I may have to look it up in the Message version, that was NIV, or simplify it for the kids... but when I pray for them each night, I always say "I pray that we would love You (GOD) with all of our hearts, and serve you with our lives" This verse says what my heart means to say, but much better - perfect actually :)

I pray that we would all grow in love - that our LOVE would abound more and more (never stop growing) in knowledge (learning about God, reading the Bible, studying His Word) and depth of insight (to me - that is what God gives to us as we grow closer to Him, He helps us to see more clearly "His" ways), the depth of our insight into God and all that He is and does should never stop growing either. Then we are able to discern what is best (we can't do that on our own - we need God to help us; and growing in our knowledge and relationship with Him helps us to do that.) Then we are always moving closer to the goal of being pure and blameless before Christ, ultimately accomplishing that on the "day of Christ" whether we die and go to Heaven, or He returns to get us (whichever happens first).

My goal for my family (and church family)) is that we would first of all LOVE more and more, never stop growing in love for each other, our community, and our world. AND that through our LOVE we would grow in knowledge and insight, so that we can know what is best and continue to grow in our love for Christ and for each other until we are pure and blameless before Him.

Having said all of that, even in the minutes of writing this I was confronted with a situation that to tell you the truth... I don't know "how" to love in this situation, because I don't know what the best thing is. So I know that I still need to grow in God's love so that I can grow in Knowledge and Insight to be able to know what is best.

Going back to the "not alone" part... God also uses other people to help us grow along our journey. I am thankful that I have people that I can talk to who are also on their own journey with God; we are not alone, and we can help each other.