What is a normal day like?

Sometimes I think that our blog could give the idea that our life is always happy and full of photo-opps. The reality is that I blog about the happy moments and photo-opps, but A LOT of our normal day to day life is not "blog-worthy." There are many many parts of the day that are full of joy and full of sweet times, don't get me wrong. It's just that there are also VERY many moments that are very trying and very exhausting. I am learning to see that the Lord is not only in the happy moments. He is in fact in the FREQUENT temper tantrums of our sweet little B, the laughing rebellion of our precious O, the loud words and impatient heart of their mommy and the quiet frustration of their daddy. The Lord is in it all. That is our hope.

Tonight after dinner, we were all in the play room playing before Matt went back out for a men's ministry event. Baxter almost tipped upside down over the side of the couch because he did not stop when I said stop. Owen at the same time was throwing the basketball someplace he knows not to throw the basketball. I rescued Baxter and had to exit the room. I stood in the kitchen and prayed and cried and prayed and cried.

What else can I do? How can I handle a full day of being ignored/rebelled against/laughed at... Matt came in to comfort me and about 3 seconds later we were beckoned back to the playroom with screaming and crying again.

I was reminded about something I had read this morning. I have started to re-read a book called "Parenting in the Pew" by Robbie Castleman. As a side note, I have really enjoyed it so far. The subtitle is "Guiding your children into the joy of worship." Anyway...thanks to my husband I now read the prefaces to books. I am thankful that I do. Here are a few things that Robbie said as she started the book (She wrote the book when her kids were in High School. She wrote this preface when they were graduated from college and are married and both serving Christ through their jobs.)

"I am grateful to the Lord for his good keeping and faithfulness in the lives of my children..."
"I was reminded time and again in their early college days that we, as parents are never allowed to take the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of our children."
"Great is God's faithfulness."

These are some truths that I needed to be reminded of in that moment. I do not need to despair that we had a long day and that we were assaulted by sin around every corner. I can and I need to hope in the glory of God - the power of the Holy Spirit - the love of God - the gift of Jesus Christ. Praise God that we have so much to hope in in the midst of our normal - non-blogging- days!