What a week!

Hi Company Girls!

It's been a tough week around here. Our septic system backed up and our finished basement was flooded. After painstakingly trying to mop up the overflow from the bathroom that reached the living room we called the insurance and they sent a cleaning crew. Praise God for companies that clean these messes professionally! Today they ripped out all the contaminated areas which included gutting out the small kitchen, part of the wood floor in the hallway and living room and taking out the vanity and sink in the bathroom. WOW! Now we have to get the insurance adjuster to realize how much of a disaster this was. At least now I can walk down there without gagging!

Ironically, when we went into our side of the basement which was untouched it smelled worse than the clean side! We soon realized that the couch had a very bad odor and discovered a small hole underneath that we assume a mouse crawled in and never made it out. Now that couch is joining all the other items waiting to be thrown out. What a day!

But it is not without some major blessings-

My 5 yr old son, seeing how distraught I was through dealing with the above mess said "Mom, I love you!" And gave me a big hug!

I had my 20 week ultrasound and saw a beautiful little baby moving all around oblivious to all the chaos. We are waiting to find out the sex and want to be surprised for the first time!

Yesterday, a gal from church invited us over and fed the kids and I lunch providing a much needed haven of rest away.

And, today, another gal from church called and asked if she could bring dinner over tonight! We loved the food, especially the kids, and were so thankful for her love for us.

My husband keeps asking "What is God trying to teach us through all this?" I'm not totally sure, but I do know that He proved Himself faithful in sustaining me, helping me clean up an unbearable mess, provided timely cleaners, and wonderful sisters in Christ to build us up and display God's love. We do serve a loving God who does take care of us!

To hear what other gals did this week check out Company Girl Coffee. Have a great weekend!

What's your response?

I have been convicted lately of how little patience I have toward my children. This was made more clear when a friend sharing prayer requests asked that she would not have a reactionary response in dealing with her children. That phrase "reactionary response" made me think of how quickly I blow things out of proportion when handling situations between my kids. I respond based on my emotions and not on biblical truth. What is worse, I am undermining my own instruction for them to be kind when I lose my temper or raise my voice.

In Romans 2:1-5 Paul addresses this very same attitude.

"Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man- you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself- that you will escape the judgement of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed."

I love that God's kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. If we ask God to forgive us, He will! What is more astonishing is that we can pray "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Ps. 51:10 So you and I don't have to be burdened down under our sin but can start anew each moment. What a wonderful truth!