I am so blessed.
We are all so blessed.
(I'm sure some of you don't feel so blessed right now. But I have a feeling if you looked around you could find a lot of people worse off and find a few blessings to count!)
I have felt terrible the last few days - I think it's just exhaustion catching up with me. Several nights of no sleep thanks to tornados and babies and taking care of two kids all day has just worn me out.
But it's REALLY hard to complain when you live an hour from just complete devastation.
I saw this picture on facebook today and I just loved it. I can't imagine losing your home and everything you own - but I know I would trade all my wordly possessions for my family. I can't get the family out of my mind in Oklahoma who lost two babies - 15 months and 3 years old in a tornado. I try to fathom what that would feel like and I just can't.
Sometimes I get overwhelmed at the day to day of laundry and dishes and feedings and baths. I lose sight of the importance of raising two girls. I saw today a quote by Max Lucado that said something like "Children are not your hobby - they are your calling". I want to focus on not just making it through the day but to parent with a purpose. Whether it's sitting down and writing out letters with Harper or teaching her Bible verses or right now just holding Hollis - I hope I am pouring into their lives to help them become amazing adults.
Thankfully today was a fun day! A group of my friends met up at Chick-fil-a to let our kids eat and play and it was the first time I've been able to sit and visit and Harper has gone right in and played without needing me by her side or coming in and out the door every 30 seconds. I'm realizing how much she is growing and changing. I took both girls to Target this afternoon and Harper has become so easy to take with me. She no longer (for the most part) whines or cries or demands snacks or throws things out the cart - she loves to sit and ride and point out things she likes and is just a pleasure. I can see how as we near 2 and a half - that is changing constantly. And I should be sad but honestly - I love seeing her become a little girl.
And I'm thankful for a husband who is a great daddy. These girls LOVE him! And he is so great with them. I told him the other night as we drove to the church to wait out the storm that if anything happened he needed to know he and the girls were the most important things in the world to me (other than Jesus). He laughed because I was being melodramatic but I realized I shouldn't wait until I thought we were all going to die to share how much he means to me! Life is short. Aren't we seeing that more and more every day?
I took this picture tonight with my phone as I enjoyed my time just sitting and snuggling Hollis. She is so precious. And I am so thankful. Tomorrow everything in our lives could change................but no matter what the circumstance - I have been blessed.
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. Philipians 3:8
